A new leadership committee will be appointed by Manchester United as part of the agreement that would see Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the founder of INEOS, become a minority owner. 90min comprehends
Ratcliffe was able to reach an agreement with the Glazer family to purchase a lesser stake in the team after Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim withdrew his complete acquisition attempt. The British billionaire will join the group, but it also gives the Glazers—who originally declared last November that they would be open to exploring “strategic alternatives”—the opportunity to stay in control for the foreseeable future.
Ratcliffe’s ultimate goal is still to fully acquire United, and his phased strategy values the club more than Sheikh Jassim’s £5 billion bid. After all, the Glazers’ valuation of the club, which is estimated to be worth between over £6 billion and possibly as much as £10 billion, was not met by the Qatari offer.
According to 90min, Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, and Joel Glazer will form a committee to monitor the immediate adjustments at United as the team adjusts to the new ideas. Although it is not anticipated to be a highly formal arrangement, it will be above both the sporting director and chief executive Richard Arnold, who are still in charge of the commercial side.
In the future, the committee may be reorganized or enlarged based on how things work out.
Joel Glazer, who is currently the family member with the greatest participation, is co-chairman of United, a role he shares with brother Avram. It’s generally known that Ratcliffe was a United supporter growing up and has earned the title of “Britain’s richest man” through his success in the chemical industry.
While this was going on, Brailsford—who is most recognized for his contributions to professional cycling—became director of sport for INEOS in 2021 and actively participated in the organization’s Ligue 1 team, OGC Nice. The 59-year-old oversaw 16 Olympic gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 games in addition to consistent World Championship success while serving as the performance director for British cycling from 1997 to 2014.
The’marginal gains philosophy’-professed Brailsford started leading professional cycling team Team Sky in 2010; after Ratcliffe’s company took over sponsorship, the team changed its name to Ineos Grenadiers in 2019. Since 2012, the team has produced seven Tour de France titles overall.
Brailsford’s participation is a continuation of what 90min revealed earlier this week regarding Ratcliffe’s reliance on prior athletic knowledge. In order to improve sporting operations, the club is once again considering hiring renowned talent scout and recruiter Paul Mitchell. This might potentially involve the Mercedes Formula One team, of which INEOS owns an equal third.
