Football Digest: Ratcliffe closes in on deal for 25% stake in Man Utd
Manchester United's board members will hold a scheduled meeting today but aren't expected to vote to ratify Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 25 per cent stake in the club, according to reports. And while no deal is agreed with the Glazer family, the prospect of an 11th-hour Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani hijack is refusing to leave the lips of supporters hopeful for a full sale.
The United takeover process has undoubtedly entered its end game but looks set for a conclusion unpopular among many supporters.
After an 11-month saga, the Glazers are primed to retain a majority stake in the club after rejecting Sheikh Jassim's 100 per cent bid worth over £5billion.
Sir Jim has used his business nouse to take pole position, agreeing a £1.3bn deal in principle for 25 per cent of United, which would involve INEOS taking total sporting control.
And it's now a waiting game until the Red Devils' 12 board members pass Sir Jim's bid to sanction the first major ownership development since the Glazers' controversial 2005 takeover.
Express Sport provides all the latest Manchester United takeover LIVE updates from Old Trafford.
As Manchester United board members prepare to vote on Sir Jim Ratcliffe, reported £1.35billion offer to buy 25 per cent of the club, Express Sport takes a long-form look at everything we know about the takeover deal so far.
BY GIDEON BROOKS: Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to wait to get a set of keys for Old Trafford after another delay to his £1.3billion buy-in to the club.
A virtual board meeting, attended by the Glazer siblings in Florida, yesterday, discussed the petrochemical billionaire’s purchase of 25 per cent of the club.
But with lawyers continuing to work on the finer details of the deal an announcement to the New York Stock Exchange and United’s existing investors could yet be “weeks away”.
Ineos are to hold a meeting with their own shareholders on Monday with Ratcliffe’s United offer on the agenda.
The offer values the club at £5.2billion – twice the current market value of £2.6billion – is expected to be ratified once due process has been followed.
Until it is rubber stamped Erik ten Hag will have to hold fire on planning for the January transfer window.
However both Ten Hag and United’s hierarchy believe January remains a difficult window to do decent business in and are not in a rush to make new signings.
Jadon Sancho could be the exception and could leave, initially on loan with an agreement to a permanent deal, given his stand off with the manager.
Harry Maguire could yet be tempted away from the club in search of more regular first team football ahead of next summer’s European Championships.
Jadon Sancho has been omitted from Manchester United's squad photo for the 2023/2024 Premier League campaign as rumours continue to swirl that he could leave Old Trafford in January. First-team players gathered together at the Carrington training centre for their annual squad photo but Sancho was nowhere to be seen.
Casemiro will not play against Sheffield United on Saturday after picking up an injury during international duty with Brazil.
United confirmed on Thursday afternoon: "Casemiro was absent [from training], having remained in Brazil, on the club's advice, to recover as swiftly as possible from a small issue picked up while playing for his country.
"He will be unavailable for Saturday's game with the Blades but is expected back at Carrington early next week to resume training, although he is suspended for the UEFA Champions League encounter with FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford, after being sent off in the defeat to Galatasaray."
Joel Glazer will reportedly be given a major role in Man Utd providing Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal to become a minority shareholder is given the green light by board members. According to the Financial Times, Sir Dave Brailsford — director of sport at Ineos — and Glazer are set to sit on a committee overseeing football matters. The Glazers are expected to run the commercial side of Man Utd while INEOS will focus on the results on the pitch, as per Ratcliffe's proposal but there will be some crossover.
Former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke believes Andre Onana has made Erik ten Hag "look like a fool".
He told investment data analysis platform Stocklytics:"It's totally different, and you thought Onana would have known that by now. There are a lot of crosses and a lot of passes in and around the box and you need a goalkeeper who can handle those situations. Yes, you need a 'keeper who wants to play out from the back, and that's Onana's philosophy.
"It's high-risk, high reward. It's brilliant when it works, but when it doesn't, it looks like the manager has got his selection totally wrong. It's clear to see that the goalkeeping department has been a massive struggle for United. Managers can look like the fool sometimes by bringing someone in who doesn't work.
"I was at the club when Sir Alex brought Massimo Taibi into the side, and he didn't quite work out. The manager did, however, realise that very quickly. I'm not sure if Ten Hag will do that, or if he's stubborn enough to back Onana. We don't know.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal for 25 per cent of Manchester United may not be complete before the January transfer window, according to reports.
The Mail claim that lawyers are striking out the details of the complex £1.4m deal, and it could take weeks.
New York Stock Exchange and Premier League requirements will then cause a further delay, potentially meaning Ratcliffe will take sporting control next year.
The report adds that it shouldn't make too much different because United aren't planning any major January signings.
Manchester United icon Dwight Yorke believes Sir Jim Ratcliffe buying 25 per cent of the club is a step in the right direction to removing the Glazer family.
He told Stocklytics: "Sir Jim Ratcliffe is coming now, and he's bought 25 per cent of the club. It's hard to comment on the details, but that tells me he won't be in full control, so at least that's a quarter of the club in the right direction!
"It may not have full control, but it gives Ratcliffe enough to get the club to a certain standard. You need to win the domestic league to start attracting the best players, and if we don't do that, we can forget about Mbappe right now. You have to win and show intent to compete against City and Liverpool."
INEOS will hold a credit update call to update shareholders at 3pm on Monday, in a hint that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Manchester United deal is edging closer, according to Bloomberg.
Ratcliffe is set to imprint INEOS' vision on United by buying 25 per cent of the club and inheriting total sporting control.
There is said to be hope that his £1.3bn deal with the Glazers will go through in a matter of weeks rather than months.
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