Sir Jim Ratcliffe has shed light on why he is aiming to purchase Chelsea despite the fact Britain's richest man is actually a Manchester United fan.
The saga surrounding who will succeed Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich as Blues owner has raged on for more than two months, but Todd Boehly’s consortium is understood to be in pole position to be handed the keys to Stamford Bridge. Despite this, Ratcliffe still has hope of becoming owner - though he has been told by Raine, the bank in charge of the sale that he is not being considered.
Petrochemicals giant INEOS founder Ratcliffe has confirmed he has proposed an offer for the club, though he is a well-known fan of the Red Devils. When pressed on why he is pursuing Chelsea, the billionaire admitted to BBC Sport: "I have a split allegiance. I watched Chelsea when I was in London for years, it was difficult to go and see United."
And with some fans wondering why he is not looking to buy United instead given unrest and unhappiness over the Glazers, he explained in simple terms: "I understand [why United fans want him as owner] but the club isn't for sale."
Bizarrely given his affection for United, Ratcliffe is a season-ticket holder at Stamford Bridge. Identified by Forbes as the wealthiest man in the UK, Ratcliffe amassed his £20billion wealth via his multi-national chemicals company Ineos.
The 69-year-old is also no stranger to the world of football given he already owns French outfit Nice. He has long been touted with bringing his billions to the English top-flight, with links to Chelsea dating back as far as 2019 - long before Abramovich faced any sanctions from the UK government.
Ratcliffe has spoke openly about his £4.25bn bid for the Blues with BBC Sport. We had a communication with Raine and met with them at the end of last week," he explained. "We presented a bid but have heard very little back from them.
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My message to Raine is don't discount our offer. We are British and have great intentions for Chelsea. If I was Raine I wouldn't close any door." Much of the confusion surrounding his bid stems from the fact that Ratcliffe has submitted his bid so much later than the other suitors involved.
The billionaire has since explained why that was the case, revealing: "I think that is quite simple - it is a big decision to buy a national asset and it's a big commitment in terms of time and money.
"We're there for the long term that's a lot of responsibility to take on and it takes time to reach a decision to be fully committed. We got there at the end of the day and we are committed. We're not giving up."
