Christmas blamed for another Man Utd takeover delay

7 Dec 2023 13:13 GMT
3 min read

Manchester United have seen another delay to their takeover as Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 25 per cent stake in the club is not expected to be announced until the week after next, according to reports.

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The Daily Mail state that ‘legal structural’ matters have seen the date pushed back once again, while the upcoming Christmas break could push the announcement into next year - though it’s hoped that this won’t be the case.

Man Utd had hoped to announce the takeover ahead of the side’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich on Tuesday. But now that is not going to happen, as another delay has occurred.

There is no reason to believe that there are any complications, but the lack of clarity around the situation as well as the delay is likely to frustrate supporters, who are hopeful of the Glazer family losing a partial stake.

© ProShots - Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to acquire a stake in Man Utd

Ratcliffe's £1.25bn investment in the Red Devils is still yet to be officially ratified, with the whole saga taking over a year to conclude.

The Ineos chief is expected to put in a further £245m into the club to upgrade Old Trafford and Carrington.

How long will the Premier League take to ratify the partial takeover?

When the announcement takes place, it may take another six to eight weeks to be signed off by the Premier League, meaning that it will be another transfer window hampered, as they won’t be in time for January to make purchases.

Ratcliffe beat Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani to earn a stake in the club, though the Qatari banker wanted to take on a full 100 per cent of the club.

Ratcliffe, who is also the owner of Ligue 1 side Nice, is also expected to take over football operations and implement a new team in the club’s recruitment.