British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe will control the football operations at Manchester United after he acquires the proposed 25 per cent stake through his company INEOS, The Telegraph report.
Sheikh Jassim pulled out of the takeover race on Saturday evening after it was revealed that the Glazers had decided to accept a minority stake instead of a permanent sale.
Ratcliffe’s proposal is expected to receive the green light after a board meeting and The Telegraph claim that he will have control of the sporting matters with his investment.
The 70-year-old plans to take full control of the club in the long-term, but the Glazers are prepared to take the back seats to calm the mood among the United fanbase.
Ratcliffe has plenty to do to gain fan support
After a lengthy takeover saga of nearly 11 months, the Glazers have eventually opted for minority investment. Ratcliffe will pay £1.35 billion for 25 per cent ownership.
The Telegraph claim that he would directly gain control of sporting matters with the small stake, but the question is how he could transform the fortunes of the club.
The British man made huge promises when INEOS took control of Nice few years ago, but the club have been vastly in mid-table with the lack of sufficient investment.
With United, he will need to show more intent with transfer activity as well as the development of the stadium. Whether that can be done is a huge question for now.
The Glazers are doing the right thing by handing control to Ratcliffe, but the latter has plenty to do in order to convince the fans that he is the right man to own the club.