- Ratcliffe in lead to buy Man Utd stake
- Glazers prefer Ratcliffe's revised offer
- Sheikh Jassim looking to make outright purchase
WHAT HAPPENED? Since the Glazer family opened the door for proposals to be made for United in November, both Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim have made several approaches. After the deadline for final bids passed, the process has gone quiet. However, it has recently emerged that Ratcliffe has made a fresh offer in an effort to reach a settlement. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Ratcliffe's updated bid has "given him the advantage" against Sheikh Jassim, who has previously emphasised that he is only interested in buying the club outright. Ratcliffe is believed to be in talks to buy an initial 25% stake in the team, which would value United at about $6.1 billion (£5 billion). The Glazers, who would continue to be in power under such a transaction, prefer the sale of a minority interest.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Since the Glazers purchased the team back in 2005, Manchester United supporters have regularly voiced their protests against the American owners. The Red Devils invested heavily in the summer but have struggled on the pitch in the new campaign, with manager Erik ten Hag currently presiding over the club's worst start to a season i 37 years.
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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT? While it is claimed that the Glazers are "closer than ever" to reaching an agreement, the report also emphasises that there is "no certainty" that such negotiations will result in a settlement, meaning the saga could continue to drag on.
