27 April 2023 , 10:45
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Gary Neville has already made clear he doesn't approve of a Manchester United takeover bid which would keep the Glazer family involved, amid a controversial twist to Sir Jim Ratcliffe's interest.
Billionaire businessman Ratcliffe was one of the first bidders to express a concrete interest in a takeover, initially looking to acquire the Glazers' 69 per cent stake in the club. Now, though, it appears he could give the current owners an avenue to retain an interest.
Neville, who spent his entire playing career at Old Trafford, has made no secret of his stance on the Glazers. That applies to his stance before they put the club up for sale, and early in the process when other bidders looked set to keep them involved.
In mid-April, Neville made his position clear amid interest in a minority investment from private equity firm Carlyle Group. The proposal, among others, could see the Glazers extend their near-20-year stay as custodians of the club.
"No thank you! This doesn’t work for United!" he tweeted, "The Glazer PR machine keeps leaking this type of minority partnership out there bi-weekly whist stressing it’s a confidential process!"
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According to The Times, a new proposal from Ratcliffe would see his stake drop to around 50 per cent. This would allow the Glazers to retain a holding of around 20 per cent, with the remainder held by other groups.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe could allow the Glazers to stay at Man Utd (AFP via Getty Images)
Ineos chief Ratcliffe is by no means the only remaining bidder ahead of Friday's deadline for new bids. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is also expected to return to the table, while Thomas Ziliacus - despite not participating in the third round of bidding - has said his bid from the previous round can be kept under consideration.
"I'm not going to be participating in a third round because I find it highly unprofessional," Ziliacus said. "I see no reason whatsoever why a third round is basically starting the whole thing from scratch."
Ratcliffe laid out his plans in a February statement when his initial interest was made public. "We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again," he began. "We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads.
"We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership. We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League."