Sir Jim Ratcliffe ready to buy 25 percent stake in Manchester United after Sheikh Jassim fails with complete ownership bid: Fabrizio Romano 

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is prepared to take a different approach to buy Manchester United after rival Sheikh Jassim dropped out of the race. The INEOS Group chairman is in pole position to reach a deal with the Glazers, and is willing to buy a 25 percent stake.

Manchester United was put up for sale in late 2022, prompting bids from multiple groups, including one from Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The billionaire, whose group owns French side OGC Nice, was one of the forerunners in the bid to buy the club, one of Europe's finest.

The Glazers have put up a strong front and have refused all attempts to buy the club fully from their control. According to Fabrizio Romano, they rejected a bid of over £7 billion from Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim, causing him to withdraw from the race.

Following the withdrawal of the Qatari billionaire, Sir Ratcliffe is in a fine position to strike a deal for the club. Club legend David Beckham revealed to CNBC that a deal would happen, but he did not know who the buyers would be.

Sir Ratcliffe has proposed buying a quarter of the club's shares, which would make him a minority owner, as per Fabrizio Romano. His proposal includes sporting control and the promise of a future major ownership stake in the club.

The board of Manchester United will convene in the coming days to discuss the proposal of Sir Ratcliffe. Barring any late changes, the British businessman is expected to receive approval as he is the only serious candidate left trying to buy the club.

Sheikh Jassim exits Manchester United takeover talks

Son of a former Qatar Prime Minister, Sheikh Jassim was heavily favoured to buy Manchester United as he seemed intent on it. The club's fans relayed their disappointment via social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after he withdrew from the race.

According to reports from Italy, the businessman will attempt to buy last season's UEFA Champions League finalists, Inter Milan, in the coming months. Manchester United may be left to rue the missed opportunity of his ownership due to his clear and impressive plans.

As things stand, the Glazer family will retain majority ownership of the club for the foreseeable future. Manager Erik ten Hag has been backed hugely by the owners, spending north of £300 million across three transfer windows.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will likely join the ownership group of the club and will be keen to make an impact on football. He previously tried to buy Chelsea unsuccessfully before his bid for the Red Devils.