A fresh twist in the race to secure ownership of Premier League giants Manchester United has been confirmed late on Saturday evening.
And the news is of an altogether significant nature.
The subject of the potential changing of hands at Old Trafford, of course, has taken its place front and centre in the English media headlines for 24 hours now.
This comes after the two leading candidates – Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe – submitted what are expected to represent their final respective offers.
The former, for his part, was in turn widely viewed as being ahead of rival Ratcliffe in the bidding process, in efforts to take full control of proceedings on the red half of Manchester.
In a blow to those of a United persuasion hopeful of such a proposal bearing fruit, however, late on Saturday, widespread confirmation has surfaced that Jassim has been overtaken by Ratcliffe.
As per multiple reliable sources, Ineos, British billionaire Ratcliffe’s firm, have gauged Manchester United as being worth in excess of £5 billion.
Not only that, but, unlike in the case of Jassim, Ineos would be willing to agree to a purchase of as little as 50 per cent, an agreement which would allow current owners the Glazer brothers to continue to play a telling role in proceedings at Old Trafford.
🔺 NEW: Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos may have moved ahead in the battle to buy Manchester United after valuing the club higher than their main Qatari rivals https://t.co/BcSFO1SJZc
— Times Sport (@TimesSport) April 29, 2023
