Man Utd takeover: INEOS could now be given ‘alternative option’ at Old Trafford

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·2 octobre 2023

Man Utd takeover: INEOS could now be given ‘alternative option’ at Old Trafford

Highlights

Manchester United's potential takeover has been a source of frustration for staff and fans, but no agreement seems close, leaving the future of the club uncertain.
On-field and off-field improvements at Old Trafford have been lacking, with the team starting their worst season since 1989 under Erik ten Hag.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reworked a fresh bid to buy Manchester United, and there is speculation that the Glazers may follow Liverpool's lead in acquiring minority shareholders.

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Manchester United’s takeover has frustrated staff members and fans alike since and now journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed the details of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s approach, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

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It is nearing one year since the Glazers announced they were exploring ‘strategic alternatives' which included putting the club up for sale.

Manchester United takeover news – Latest

Of course, this news delighted those associated with Manchester United as it marked the possibility to end the Glazers’ 15-year spell as ill-fated custodians of the club. However, the end goal seems no closer to being agreed which leaves the future of the 20-time English champions heavily in the balance.

There has been little to no positive signs of on-field and off-field improvements at Old Trafford in recent times given Erik ten Hag has led the Red Devils to their worst-ever start since 1989.

Since the Glazers made their world-shocking announcement, it has been INEOS owner Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani who have been squaring up with their hefty bids to win over the American-based family, despite reports earlier this year suggesting they could call the pull their curtains on the sale process and retain their respective positions at the Manchester club.

As the takeover saga rumbles on, Ratcliffe has reworked a fresh bid to buy Manchester United amid concerns that acquiring a stake from minority shareholders could be the route the Glazers decide on. The club’s arch-rivals, Liverpool, have done just that recently by reaching an agreement with Dynasty Equity, per BBC Sport, and, in turn, such a deal may entice the Glazers to follow suit.

Saying that, it could be a month of change in M16 given that The Sun – in August – reported that Jassim was poised to complete a takeover by mid-October. The report suggests that a £6b outlay from the prospective owner would be enough to convince the Glazer to walk away from their duties at the English behemoths.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe could explore alternative takeover option – Ben Jacobs

On the current state of play, Jacobs suggested that a ‘put-and-call’ clause has been Ratcliffe’s preference for quite some time now. The reliable journalist revealed that would mean the Glazers would continue being involved at the club in some capacity for the time being, though would be able to share their stake at any given point. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said…

“Back in April, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s preference was to put in what is known as the put-and-call clause, which would have likely been exercisable in 2026. And in this type of clause, in basic terms, it either means that any Glazer that stays can sell their stake at a pre-agreed price, or a price based upon a set formula to be calculated at a later date. “Any Glazer can exit for that price, or based on that formula at a certain point, or alternatively, Ratcliffe could have the option to buy their remaining shares at a certain point as well. So that almost requires a sub-negotiation, planning for the future, projecting for the future. It's complicated, especially when you're dealing with a world record sale for a football club. So the negotiations are not simple and there's not only one component to them.”

Lisandro Martínez injury update

While the likes of Raphael Varane and Mason Mount are no longer in the queue for the treatment table, there are still a flurry of players out of action for Ten Hag. Central defender Lisandro Martínez is the latest to be struck with injury as he faces three months out, per MailOnline.

The report suggests that after suffering from an injury setback, the Argentine is set to undergo a second operation on his broken metatarsal this week. The injury is reoccurring, however, as he first picked up the knock in April during Manchester United’s Europa League contest with Sevilla. Formerly of Ajax, the 25-year-old came back for pre-season earlier than the rest in order to restore match fitness, though his premature return may mean he’s now paying the price just months down the line.

In the club’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, it is understood the defender experienced similar pain and was, subsequently, forced to be substituted off. Painkillers were administered to Martinez in the two following fixtures against Brighton & Hove Albion and Bayern Munich, though additional tests have revealed that the problem has just worsened. Unfortunately for Ten Hag, his injury crisis just seems never-ending.

However, given that transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that Martinez's 'hot-headed' nature can often affect his performances, some time on the touchline may do him the greater good. Speaking about the injury on Friday, manager Ten Hag said (via MailOnline):

"We did a proper diagnosis, in Argentina as well, but now it came out that there was a problem. That's very sad, for him and the team, because he was not 100 percent fit. "I think it was a big difference the Licha [Lisandro Martínez] in the last games and the Licha we have seen in the first season here. He will add to the team, a really strong contributor to our levels and if already one player drops a level, the team performance will be lower."