Man Utd to get HUGE transfer kitty with Ratcliffe takeover?

Tom Hancock

Updated: 19 May 2023 16:20 BST
3 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is bidding to by Manchester United — © ProShots

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be handed an enormous transfer war chest to dip into this summer if Sir Jim Ratcliffe is successful in taking over at Old Trafford.

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The CEO of chemicals conglomerate INEOS – one of the favourites to take control of Man Utd – is now the second-richest person in the UK, according to the newly published Sunday Times Rich List 2023.

A lifelong United fan, Ratcliffe is currently competing with a Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani to buy a majority stake in the club from current owners the Glazer family.

The Glazers first put Man Utd on the market back in November and are said to value the club at close to €7bn (£6bn).

Opposition towards the American owners has intensified in recent years, with United supporters regularly making their feelings clear with protests at games – a feature of which have been green and gold scarves (taking the colours from United’s original guise, Newton Heath).

Ratcliffe – who was previously rumoured to be looking at investing in West Ham – certainly has closer personal ties to Manchester than the Glazers, having grown up on a council estate in nearby Failsworth.

© ProShots - What kind of budget will Erik ten Hag have to play with this summer?

How much is Sir Ratcliffe worth?

Ratcliffe’s net worth is estimated to stand at an enormous €34.2bn (£29.7bn) – placing him among the very richest people in the world, never mind the UK.

The 70-year-old already has various sporting interests, with INEOS co-owning Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes F1 team, and owning outright Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss outfit Lausanne-Sport.

INEOS also funds the INEOS Grenadiers professional cycling team, as well as being a partner of New Zealand’s national rugby union team, the All Blacks.