Sir Jim Ratcliffe has purchased a minority stake in Manchester United, according to the club. Ineos, his company, wants to buy up to 25% of the squad. Ratcliffe spent a lot of money on this, approximately £1.25 billion. Ratcliffe’s purchase was officially announced on Christmas Eve, December 24. But Gary Neville, a United legend, was upset that they announced it on that day and expressed his displeasure.
Gary Neville on Sir Jim Ratcliffe buying Manchester United minority stake
The new deal was made 13 months after the Glazer family first said they were thinking about doing something with their part of the club. They talked about maybe selling it, but in the end, they didn’t. During the process of making a deal with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a businessman from Qatar named Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani wanted to own the whole club. But in October, Sheikh Jassim changed his mind and stopped trying, so Ratcliffe could then try to get a big part of the club.
This deal involves a lot of money. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group is going to spend about £1.25 billion for a part of the club. It’s not just about money; they also plan to make big changes in how the football part of the club works. Additionally, Ratcliffe is putting in another £245 million to fix up the old buildings and stadium of the club.
Even with these changes happening, not everyone is happy about it when they reveal it. Gary Neville, who used to play for the club, didn’t like that they announced this deal on Christmas Eve. He shared his feelings on X.
“Manchester United 2023 has been a disgrace to the end. The timing of this is truly awful and no functioning organization would even think about it. Anyway all the very best to Jim Radcliffe and I hope he can somehow work out a way to get the club right again and back to being something respectable on and off the pitch,” Neville said.
Manchester United 2023 has been a disgrace to the end. The timing of this is truly awful and no functioning organisation would even think about it. Anyway all the very best to Jim Radcliffe and I hope he can somehow work out a way to get the club right again and back to being…
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) December 24, 2023
Sir Jim Ratcliffe now owns 25% of Manchester United, including both Class A and Class B shares. This big change in ownership is important for how the club works and where it’s headed in the future.
