Sir Jim Ratcliffe has admitted he was concerned about negotiating with the Glazers in a new book about his company's success.
Ratcliffe is trying to complete a takeover of Manchester United from the Glazers, who put the club up for sale seven months ago. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is the favourite to become United's new owner due to an issue with Ratcliffe's bid.
In a new book entitled 'Grit, Rigour & Humour: The INEOS Story', Ratcliffe has revealed what it was like meeting the six Glazer siblings - Avram, Joel, Kevin, Darcie and Edwards - to discuss the takeover. Ratcliffe has described the Glazers as "charming".
Yet the INEOS chief has confessed he was concerned about doing business with six siblings due to their differing viewpoints. Ratcliffe has also admitted he tried to buy 50 per cent of Barcelona, as he continues to build his company's sporting empire.
In an extract published by The Times, Ratcliffe said: "We went to see them [the Glazers] and they were charming. They are all very nice, despite the press they get... But the club is owned equally by siblings and you can’t talk to that many siblings, really."
Ratcliffe's complimentary opinion about the Glazers will concern some United fans, as the club's current custodians are deeply unpopular at Old Trafford. Supporters are keen for them to sell up after a decade without a Premier League title.
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It's claimed that was Ratcliffe's view of the Glazers BEFORE United went up for sale. Ratcliffe was said to be still in the takeover battle by Easter, but his hopes of becoming United's next owner hangs in the balance due to an issue with his current bid.
Ratcliffe wants to purchase the Glazer family's shares in United - which is a controlling stake - but is not interested in buying out the minority shareholders. This is a concern for the latter group, who are worried about the value of their shares decreasing.
That isn't an issue for Sheikh Jassim, as the Qatari banker wants to complete a 100 per cent takeover of United. It's believed he is growing increasingly confident of being named as the Glazer family's preferred bidder after seven months of negotiations.
Yet Ratcliffe cannot be ruled out of the takeover battle just yet. INEOS has invested in several sports, including running, rugby, cycling, sailing and Formula One. In regards to football, they already own French side Nice and Swiss outfit FC Lausanne-Sport.
Ratcliffe would love to add a major European club to his company's portfolio. He tried to complete a takeover of Chelsea a year ago - losing out to Todd Boehly's consortium - and offered to invest "two or three billion" into Barcelona for a 50 per cent stake.
Ratcliffe promised to renovate the Camp Nou and to sign a deed saying they would never sell the fan-owned club, but Barcelona said no because the fans wouldn't agree to it.
