Man Utd chiefs to hold Sir Jim Ratcliffe vote as Brit ‘reaches agreement’

The Manchester United board is preparing to hold a vote on whether to sell a minority stake in the club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, according to reports. The petrochemicals billionaire is believed to have reached an agreement in principle with the Glazers after almost a year of negotiations.

The pendulum swung firmly in Sir Jim’s favour on Saturday when it emerged that rival bidder Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani had withdrawn from contention. The Qatari businessman put forward one final proposal which was rejected by the Glazers, prompting his team of Middle Eastern investors to walk away.

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim have long led the race to become the newcomers at Old Trafford, with the Glazers acknowledging that strategic alternatives have been explored behind the scenes since last November.

Upon witnessing his key rival drop out, Sir Jim is now the clear favourite to strike a deal. According to The Athletic, the INEOS chief has reached an agreement in principle with United’s American owners.

The exact nature of the compromise is yet to be confirmed, but it is believed that the Glazers are prepared to sanction the sale of a 25 per cent stake to Sir Jim, who is seeking a measure of sporting control as part of the deal.

Devastatingly for United fans, if the board vote in favour of the proposal, the hugely unpopular Glazers would remain at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future. There are murmurs, however, that Sir Jim has held talks over increasing his prospective stake in the club further down the line.

With the end of a drawn-out takeover saga in sight for Erik ten Hag, the United boss may soon benefit from a more settled environment in which to try and inspire a turnaround in results.

“I think it’s clear [that a quick resolution is] what I want but it’s not up to me,” said the Dutchman back in May. “It’s about others in this club, there are the owners and they make the decisions, so it’s not up to me.”