Jim Ratcliffe has no guarantee over future pathway to full ownership at Manchester United – Man United News And Transfer News

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has no formal agreement in place to buy more than the 25% of the club he currently has.

Manchester United fans received an early present on Christmas Eve when it was announced that Ratcliffe’s 25% partial takeover was official.

However, according to Sky Sports, there is “no formal agreement for Jim Ratcliffe to buy more Glazer shares in the future”.

It was assumed by many that the INEOS billionaire would not have entered into such an agreement without some sort of guarantee of a pathway to future ownership of the club.

However, this does not seem to be the case.

Sky Sports claim that if the billionaire were to want more control at the club, “under stock exchange rules he would have to offer that to all shareholders”, before being able to take the necessary steps.

Ratcliffe has already made his first appointments by welcoming Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc to Man United’s UK club board.

Moreover, United are very shortly expected to appoint a new director of football, with names such as Paul Mitchell and Dan Ashworth discussed.

Many fans will be worried however about the Glazers maintaining control and The Peoples Person commented recently that with the announcement of the European Super League’s legality, this could well result in the American family deciding to stay on to milk the club further of any future profits.

However, Sky Sports do claim that “Ratcliffe has right of first refusal if Glazers do decide to sell any more shares”.

No formal agreement for Jim Ratcliffe to buy more Glazer shares in the future. Under stock exchange rules he would have to offer that to all shareholders. But Ratcliffe has right of first refusal if Glazers do decide to sell any more shares.

— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) December 24, 2023

In addition, sources close to the deal have told The Telegraph that while the business and footballing side are “inextricably linked”, “Jim isn’t going to do a deal like this and then have his hands tied”.

This will ease Man United fans’ worries, as the worst case scenario would be a lame duck Ratcliffe organization that takes all the blame, while the Glazers continue to drain money away from the club.

Consequently, many fans will hope that in the not too distant future, the INEOS chief will make more public statements about his future intentions in regard to buying a larger stake in the club. Until he does, the shadow of the Glazers will continue to loom over the Mancunian side.