Sir Jim Ratcliffe has taken control of 25% of Manchester United, and while the deal is still subject to Premier League ratification, it is expected to go through within the next two months.
The Red Devils’ current owners, the Glazers, put the Old Trafford club up for sale 13 months ago before eventually deciding to part with some of their shares instead after buyers could not meet their asking price.
Ratcliffe will take charge of the football operations at Man United, and a 241-page document containing all the details of his partial takeover was released late on Tuesday night.
The club co-chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer have since thanked the staff in an email for their patience during the process.
They also implored them not to speak to the media about the deal given how outlets constantly reach out to club insiders for further details on any matter.
“In addition, if you are asked about this transaction by friends or family, you may refer to the information that is publicly available on the Manchester United website,” the email read (as shared by The Times).
“But please do not make any speculative comments or insert your own opinions or beliefs regarding the transaction.”
As expected, the staff will know more about the deal than others outside the club, and the Glazers do not want them spilling the information to the press.
While such warnings to staff are commonplace when big companies make a significant investment, there are no guarantees that leaks will not happen.
Ratcliffe will be eager for the Premier League to quickly approve the deal, and he would have loved to have his team in place for the January transfer window.
While he is yet to officially assume control, all footballing and significant sporting decisions would have to be run past him during the ratification process.
