Sir Jim Ratcliffe: I want to buy Manchester United | Will make a bid for the club [Telegraph]
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Seems a bit like the modern day Michael Knighton
Yeah we need genuine bidders
Helloo, my name is... Snrub and I come from some place far away! I'd like to buy your football club.
That’s a very cheap shot. For a start he actually has the money to buy the club, and isn’t just all talk and no walk.
You cant judge based purely based on 3 signings, it’s not representative.
Also the level that Nice are at those are 3 talented useful players to have in their squad.
Yeah maybe. Those three names did make me smile though.
I hope they aren’t paying Ramsey an absurd amount.
Majority of their signings are between 19 and 25, but those three have great experience which will help a young team alot.
Hmm. Ramsey maybe, though I hope they aren’t paying him what he was on at Juve.
Schneiderlin (crap) and Barkley (wasted career) are hardly the shining lights I’d want any youngsters in my care to be influenced by. Though credit to Barkley if he’s seen the light and has moved there in a serious attempt to revive his career.
This is Nice, the likes of Barkley is a pretty big name all things considered.
I don't really think he's wasted his career, 33 England caps isn't something to be sniffed at.
Yikes! I had no idea he had anything like that number.
Didn't this guy say we made a mistake in hiring ETH?
I think you mistook it for Fred.
If you're starting from stand point that we accept we need huge capital investment surely someone like Sir Jim is worst possible owner
If you look at his assumed net worth and knock probably 30-40% on basis these rumoured figures are usually massively inflated and fact it will include wealth already tied up in existing assests, there's no way he can afford us without leveraging the deal in some way
I think it's fairly safe to assume there's no way he had funds to buy the club without seeking additional investment and borrowing. A billionaire with rumored net worth of £12bn doesn't have £6bn sitting in an account
If you look at his assumed net worth and knock probably 30-40% on basis these rumoured figures are usually massively inflated and fact it will include wealth already tied up in existing assests, there's no way he can afford us without leveraging the deal in some way
I think it's fairly safe to assume there's no way he had funds to buy the club without seeking additional investment and borrowing. A billionaire with rumored net worth of £12bn doesn't have £6bn sitting in an account
Knighton had wealth, just not enough relative to what was needed at Manchester United. Knighton was very enthusiastic about football and in owning and running a club, and did indeed own another club. Can’t you see the parallels?
His whole MO was to try and use fans and protests to drive down the price. This guy cannot afford this without selling a significant chunk of his majority ownership in his chemicals company, which isn't happening given Ineos are far more valuable and profitable than we are ever likely to be.
Where you said above "He might have a business plan to run the club more sustainably and eliminate the debt over time but he will not be giving away his own money."
I'd be fine with that and indeed I'd prefer that to oil state ownership to be honest.
I don't think he does. He's been effectively trying to drive down price by fuelling discontentment. He certainly cannot afford without selling off significant share of his Ineos business.
I think he'd be in the game if the reality was that due to fan pressure he has been trying to Stoke the Glazers were looking for a quick, cut-and-run sale. A hunt for 'investors' with the aim of presumably getting a price significantly over and above market value I can't see him in the running.
Almost all of his wealth is tied up in Ineos ownership. Would he relinquish £2bn or £3bn of the chemicals company if that's what he could get club for? Possibly. £6bn or £7bn? I'd say probably not
Nothing about his interest ever rang true. He was exclusively putting his case in the media rather than actually trying to seriously purchase the club. When people started to notice and question this then came the claim the Glazers weren't interested in selling.
Five minutes later we're openly advertising ourselves for investment/buyers. How do we go I'm such a short space of time from 'feck off James we're simply not interested in even discussing this' to that statement released a few days ago unless Sir Jim's claims were total fabrication?
The club would have known at time Ratcliffe claimed he got cold shouldered that they were planning to appeal to investors. Why would they then not engage constructively?
Nothing about his starring role in this saga these last few months has ever added up.
Five minutes later we're openly advertising ourselves for investment/buyers. How do we go I'm such a short space of time from 'feck off James we're simply not interested in even discussing this' to that statement released a few days ago unless Sir Jim's claims were total fabrication?
The club would have known at time Ratcliffe claimed he got cold shouldered that they were planning to appeal to investors. Why would they then not engage constructively?
Nothing about his starring role in this saga these last few months has ever added up.
Knighton was a nut job who went full kit wanker on the pitch at half time then bought a smaller club and appointed himself manager. The Utd bid was only ever a PR ‘look at me’ type deal. He never had the money himself, which is why the deal collapsed when his backers pulled out. He was fortunate to get a seat in the board and not just be told to sling his hook.
Radcliffe is a serious businessman who will only invest if he believes it will benefit himself AND the club. He and INEOS have the money to back it up, and he has also said previously that he would include former players in his bid - which would provide an insight into the club that he may currently be lacking.
It’s all relative. Ratcliffe is wealthy beyond most people's dreams but he doesn’t have enough wealth to compete with the Oil clubs, it would be a set up more similar to the Glazers.
How can you genuinely believe there is a 50/50 chance that he could be even worse than the Glazers? Have you seen what the Glazers have done to the club over the last 17 years? That would take some topping.
Do people on here actually realise that Ratcliffe himself doesn't own the football teams, his company INEOS are the actual investors?
INEOs havea 65 billion dollar turnover.
It doesn't matter what Ratcliffes finances are like as he won't be using that to buy the club.
INEOs havea 65 billion dollar turnover.
It doesn't matter what Ratcliffes finances are like as he won't be using that to buy the club.
He and his company have done some pretty awful things over the years so I wouldn’t put anything past him. Until he actually decides to make a bid and outlines his plans I will remain sceptical. Remember, a pessimist is never disappointed.
The debt is against the club not the Glazers, that can sell without paying off the debt and whoever buys can just keep the debt and service the interest like Glazers have been doing.
Good news: will be better than the Glazers.
Bad news: Liverpool will be bought by Saudis and will be top of the tree with City and Liverpool.
While i agree, i wonder what "sponsorship" might mitigate any debt. I can only see debt increasing with JR therefore i'm not in favour.
That is something that cannot be determined, we dont know the price or his liquidity. Ineos had 2b in 2021, in not sure they could unless they pull money in another way.
On the contrary, I feel he has played this situation very well. It’s been known for a while he would be interested in a PL team, specifically United. That’s why he was called out by Knighton - and he called Knighton’s bluff and shut him up by saying yes- I would buy it but it’s not for sale. That’s been a pretty consistent position from him for a few years. His late bid for Chelsea was only ever a message of ‘I’m serious, I’ve got the money and I want to do this’. It was a signal to the Glazers that there was a willing buyer ready to step in if they wanted it, but he stayed respectful of them so as not to catch them offside. His “I’m focusing on Nice” was a message to the Glazers get on with it or risk losing his interest - and seemingly it has worked.
Now he can actually get down to business and will do so in private I believe he will lodge a competitive bid, and time will tell if he is the preferred bidder or not.
I agree his stance and approach has made perfect sense so far. There is likely a bit of a negotiation going on in the background, and he doesn't want to pay what is being asked. So it stands to reason he's going to put out some contrarian messages to appear aloof at the thought of losing out, it's just business.
I hope he buys us, but my worry is he'll get out-bid because it's his company that will be the buyer, with a BoD and shareholders and all accountability that comes with that.
I really don't want this guy, not sure how he will be any different
Yeah me neither
the hope is that he will clear the debt and allow us to compete without debt and dividend payments
although, I obviously don't know if that will be the case.. he's a fan though, so that is one clear differential from the Glazers
I have a contact in the game. He seemed very confident it will be Radcliffe buying United. He’s reliable but you know things can change in football.
Redcafe favorite. YAY!
I don't mind Ratcliffe. I wonder if that'd mean OT gets rwdeveloped over a 6 year period.
Ratcliffe would almost certainly need to leverage/finance his bid through borrowing
People keep talking about his wealth as though he’ll be buying the club himself.
Let’s make this clear, if they make a bid, it’ll be INEOS that make it, a company with a valuation of over 60 billion.
They can absolutely afford to buy the club and invest in infrastructure.
Let’s make this clear, if they make a bid, it’ll be INEOS that make it, a company with a valuation of over 60 billion.
They can absolutely afford to buy the club and invest in infrastructure.