INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains the front runner to buy Manchester United after long last, despite a recent fifth - and final - bid from Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Ratcliffe, who has been a main candidate alongside Sheikh Jassim throughout the saga, is reportedly 'on the brink' of success with his takeover pursuit. It is claimed, by Daily Mail, that a deal could be completed as early as 'the coming days'.
The process has been ongoing ever since November, when the Glazer family came out and welcomed offers for United - whom they have owned since 2005, two years on from buying their first shares. The Qatari bid has been for 100 per cent of the football club, while Ratcliffe wants to buy the Glazer's majority stake and leave them - temporarily - with a minority.
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Ratcliffe has reportedly made a £5billion offer to buy United, with the Glazer family said to value the club at £6bn. Sheikh Jassim is claimed to have outbid Ratcliffe, without meeting the American family's valuation. The one benefit Ratcliffe is said to have, though, is that he has been in direct talks with United officials.
And United supporters - who are desperate for a conclusion as manager Erik ten Hag enters a crucial summer transfer window - have already learned what Ratcliffe hopes to bring to Old Trafford. The Glazer family have been deeply unpopular with the fan base for many years now and so, if Ratcliffe does come out victorious, he will need to stick by INEOS' words earlier this year.
Announcing their bid in a statement, the company vowed to make United the "number one club in the world once again" as they laid out their plan should their takeover prove successful.
"We can confirm that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have submitted a bid for majority ownership of Manchester United Football Club," the statement read, in February. "We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community. We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again.
"We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership. We want a Manchester United anchored on its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League."
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