British Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe Excited to Buy Stake in Manchester United

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has expressed his excitement after buying a stake in Manchester United. Ratcliffe, the founder of petrochemicals giant INEOS and a lifelong United fan, attended his first match at Old Trafford on Sunday since agreeing to a deal worth $1.3 billion. This investment marks one of the most exhilarating experiences for Ratcliffe, who admitted, ‘I have done a few exciting things, but this caps it all.’

The deal with the Glazer family, who remain in control of the club despite their unpopularity among supporters, was announced on December 24. However, it is still undergoing regulatory processes and Ratcliffe hopes it will be fully ratified in the next three or four weeks. Playfully, Ratcliffe quipped, ‘We hope they don’t find anything dodgy in our CV!’

During the match, Ratcliffe was seated alongside legendary former United manager Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box. With his ownership stake, Ratcliffe’s aim is to bring back the glory days the club enjoyed under Ferguson, who retired in 2013. Manchester United has not won a Premier League title since then.

The Ratcliffe deal concludes a lengthy process of selling either a stake or full control of the club, which lasted over a year. Initially, Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Ratcliffe emerged as front runners. However, no offer matching the Glazers’ valuation for a full sale was accepted. As part of the deal, Ratcliffe’s INEOS team will take sporting control of the club.

‘It’s taken a few turns, as you know, along the road, but these things quite often do,’ confirmed Ratcliffe. ‘It all turned out well in the end.’