Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly turned down the chance to make a bid for Liverpool because he is a Manchester United supporter.
It emerged earlier this month that Fenway Sports Group had instructed bankers to sound out what potential buyers would pay for the club as it seeks fresh investment. The US banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are assisting with the process.
And in the days that followed FSG’s announcement, Ratcliffe ruled himself out of attempting to purchase the Anfield club. A spokesperson for the Ineos chief told the Daily Telegraph : "Our position has developed since the summer and we are now focusing our efforts in Nice and raising our ambitions for the club to make them into a top-tier club in France to compete with PSG. This would represent much better value for our investment than buying one of the top-tier Premier League clubs."
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However, French publication Foot Mercato is now reporting that the reason behind Sir Jim’s decision not to bid for Liverpool was because 'he is a fan of the Red Devils'. The report also goes on to claim that he is 'very interested and intends to make an offer' for Manchester United.
It was announced on Tuesday that the Glazer family plan to identify 'strategic alternatives' which include new investors, a full sale or other transactions. The Raine Group, which facilitated the sale of Chelsea over the summer, is acting as United's exclusive financial adviser, with Rothschild and Co performing the same role to the Glazer family shareholders.
When asked in Florida on Wednesday about the decision to potentially sell the Old Trafford club, Avram Glazer told Sky News : “The board went through a process and decided to explore different strategical options for Manchester United.”
Sam Kennedy, of FSG, revealed days before the Glazer's statement that Liverpool’s owners have received numerous expressions of interest from parties seeking to invest in the club.
He said: “There has been a lot of interest from numerous potential partners considering investment into the club. It is early days in terms of exploring possibilities for possible investment into Liverpool. Great companies grow by adding value to their business.
“One way to increase that value from time to time is to sell assets or add investors. Does that mean FSG is going to sell Liverpool? I do not know.
“It’s John Henry’s, Tom Werner’s and Mike Gordon’s job to responsibly run Fenway Sports Group and they felt this was an ideal time to explore possible opportunities for investment into the club.”
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