{"id":295795,"date":"2023-11-21T08:09:12","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T08:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=295795"},"modified":"2023-11-21T08:09:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T08:09:12","slug":"man-utd-takeover-fear-emerges-as-jim-ratcliffe-insiders-worry-over-fresh-delay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/soccer\/man-utd-takeover-fear-emerges-as-jim-ratcliffe-insiders-worry-over-fresh-delay\/","title":{"rendered":"Man Utd takeover fear emerges as Jim Ratcliffe insiders worry over fresh delay"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover of Manchester United may not be announced until next week, according to reports. The INEOS founder wanted a deal wrapped up by now but there are fresh fears that there could be a further delay to official confirmation.<\/p>\n

Ratcliffe is set to buy a 25 per cent stake in United worth around \u00a31.3billion. The British billionaire saw off competition from Sheikh Jassim, who wanted to pull off a complete takeover of the Old Trafford club.<\/p>\n

Current United owners the Glazers will still be majority shareholders once Ratcliffe’s purchase is ratified. However, the lifelong Red Devils supporter will be handed responsibility of the football department.<\/p>\n

He is set to build a new hierarchy in that regard and is on the search for a new sporting director, with chief executive Richard Arnold already confirmed to be leaving. But there is growing frustration that the investment is yet to be announced.<\/p>\n

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Read more… <\/strong> Arsenal told to use Havertz in sensational swap deal for Liverpool target Wirtz<\/strong><\/p>\n

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And, according to the Telegraph, that may not come until next week. It is claimed that Ratcliffe wanted everything to have been confirmed by now.<\/p>\n

But there is every chance it won’t be finalised before Thanksgiving starts in the US on Thursday. There is therefore a realistic prospect that the saga will go on until the final week of November.<\/p>\n

This week will mark a year since the Glazers put United up for sale. It wasn’t clear from the start whether the American family were wanting a clean break or were only looking for new investment in the club.<\/p>\n

Ratcliffe and Qatari Sheikh Jassim quickly became the two leading candidates. Sheikh Jassim submitted bids up to \u00a35.5bn but fell short of the Glazers’ valuation of more than \u00a36bn.<\/p>\n