Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to take a huge lead in the race to buy Manchester United, with the INEOS chief to be named the preferred bidder imminently.
United’s much maligned owners, the Glazer family, set the wheels in motion for investment last year, announcing they would look for “strategic alternatives” including a full takeover. That kickstarted a long and laborious process which has already seen three rounds of offers being made.
The American ownership group are hoping for a world record £6 billion for the Premier League giants and enlisted the help of US merchant Raine Group to oversee the transaction. Ratcliffe, once Britain’s richest man, has been in the running for the entire process, along with Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.
