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Sir Jim Ratcliffe fears Glazer’s willingness to accept a minority investment at Manchester United could ‘bring in more competition’, according to reports.
Over the weekend, Sheikh Jassim confirmed that he would withdraw his offer to buy the club.
Shortly after being criticized by Cristiano Ronaldo, the Glazers confirmed last November that they were open to potentially selling United.
And Ratcliffe is now set to buy the 25 per cent stake in the Red Devils that he missed out on when Todd Boehly bought Chelsea last year.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe ready for talks with Man Utd’s Glazers owners
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However, according to the Independent, Ratcliffe now fears competition.
Other interested parties may come forward given that the Glazers are keen to stay at Old Trafford, despite many fans and staff members wanting them to move there.
The report also said that there is no guarantee that Ratcliffe will buy 25 percent stake.
INEOS will only invest if there is a ‘real path to majority control’.
Prolonged talks with the Glazers mean final confirmation on the arrangement is still ‘some way off’.
This week, United will vote on whether to proceed with the proposal INEOS has put on the table.
Ratcliffe had long felt that the Glazers, particularly brothers Joel and Avraham, were not interested in a total sale.
However, he could potentially walk away if he doesn’t get the guarantees he wants for a full takeover in the future.
However, INEOS has already drawn up tentative plans for what the new football structure would look like.
Eric ten Hag is the manager of United and has seen a mixed start to the season so far.
The Red Devils are currently 10th in the Premier League table, having won only four of their eight top-flight matches.
But the Dutchman’s position is safe for now.
Ratcliffe and INEOS are pleased with the work the 53-year-old has done since being appointed by United last year.
However, it remains to be seen whether the club will retain players such as Richard Arnold and John Murtaugh.
Arnold has faced criticism for the way United handled the Mason Greenwood situation before the 21-year-old went on loan to Getafe.
The contracts of United, which have struggled to shine over the past few years, are also being scrutinised.
For some time Sheikh Jasim seemed to be the frontrunner in the race to buy the club.
However, reports state that he angered the Glazers when he confirmed his intentions in his initial statement.
At the time, Sheikh Jassim outlined his desire to restore United to their ‘former glory’.
This angered the Glazers, with the family believing it to be a dig at the way the club had been run since their own takeover in 2005.
latest developments:
Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants full control over Man Utd
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Meanwhile, the Manchester United Supporters Trust has criticized the Glazers for the decision to oblige Ratcliffe.
“It would be overly optimistic to think that the Glazers are acting in the best interest of supporters or making ownership decisions that are not focused on their own priorities,” he said in a statement.
Former United star Gary Neville also reacted to the news, saying: “How does a minority stakeholder make a positive impact on the club to achieve the above?
“Can a minority shareholder have any influence on the above? This leaves more questions than answers.
“My priority is and always will be to see the Glazer family leave completely. They have overstayed their welcome in Manchester, yet are oblivious to this fact.”
