Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal to buy 25 per cent of Manchester United was in final negotiations on Thursday night. The Ineos team and Glazer family are understood to have been working all week to try to complete the paperwork in order to start the process of approvals though, even if concluded on Friday, it will be weeks into the New Year before it can be fully ratified by the Premier League and other regulators.
The complications of how to split authority between the sporting side and commercial business are thought to be among the reasons why talks have taken so long, with staff battling to tie up countless details and legalities.
There had been suggestions of a three-man board of Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer and Sir Dave Brailsford on the footballing side, giving Ineos a CASTING VOTE, but the final settlement is likely to give the petrochemicals billionaire FULL SAY on any major football decisions such as transfers and the future of Erik ten Hag, the manager.
Approval for the deal, with the Premier League needing to ratify and Uefa also involved in discussions given that Ineos also own OGC Nice, could take another four to six weeks so Ineos would not be taking formal control of transfers until after the January transfer window. [Times Sport]