Ratcliffe close to buying 25 per cent stakes in Man Utd

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United.

A report via ESPN revealed that this could see his INEOS team have “sporting influence” at Old Trafford.

There are speculations that Ratcliffe was “more savvy in his deal execution” than rival bidder Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim, who wanted to buy 100 per cent stakes in Man Utd from the Glazer family.

Jassim, on Saturday, however, withdrew his interest in acquiring Man United after failing to negotiate a full takeover of the club from their American owners.

The Qatari billionaire’s exit from the race has paved the way for Ratcliffe to acquire a 25 per cent shareholding from the Glazers, who own 69 per cent of United.

The remaining shares are owned by smaller investors on the New York Stock Exchange.

Ratcliffe is expected to pay between £1.3 billion and £1.5 billion for the stake despite Man United’s current market value at around £2.6 billion.