Ineos owner and Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe has poured water on any hope Manchester United fans have of the club being sold by the Glazer family. The silver lining in the dark clouds is the billionaire chairman of Ineos says he’s not done with investing in football.
Ratfcliffe, who’s a lifelong Red Devils supporter, has previously been interested in buying the 13-time Premier League winners. The businessman had first tried to buy Chelsea in the summer, but failed as Todd Boehly assumed control of the club. He then turned his interest to his boyhood club Man United, however, his advances to buy the club were also rejected.
Now, he’s revealed that the Glazers aren’t considering selling at the moment, now would they be anytime soon.
“I’m a lifelong Manchester United fan,” Ratcliffe said at the FT Live conference.
“And I was there in that most remarkable match in 1999 in Barcelona [win over Bayern Munich in Champions League final], which is deeply etched in my mind.
“Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family. I met Joel and Avram, and they are the nicest people. They are proper gentlemen. And they don’t want to sell it. And it’s owned by the six children of the father, and they don’t want to sell.
“If it had been for sale in the summer, yes, we would probably have had a go following on from the Chelsea thing. But we can’t sit around hoping that one day Manchester United will become available.”
But 69-year-old isn’t done with pursuing taking over a football club.
Ratcliffe’s company Ineos already owns French club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne.
When asked whether he could be interested in buying another club in the Premier League, he replied: “Well not a Premier League, a premier club.
“I think Nice has got a very interesting history. It’s an old club and it is a very attractive place for footballers as there is Californian climate down there.”