Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent takeover of Manchester United has now received Premier League approval, according to reports.
Manchester United fans have had to wait several weeks for the official proposal but it seems the wait looks set to finally be coming to an end.
It finally seems that the key decision-makers at the club can begin to plan for next season after months of wondering when this approval would finally arrive.
All that is left now is the FA’s approval before Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford and other key members of the board can get stuck into making the big changes that are needed at Old Trafford.
Completion expected ‘within days’
According to a report from The Telegraph, the Premier League has now given the green light for the 71-year-old billionaire to finally complete the minority purchase of shares.
He will own 25 per cent of the club and he, alongside his Ineos colleagues, will have the final say over sporting decisions which will be a welcomed change to the previous near 20 years of Glazer rule.
According to the report, a deal will be completed within days as the Football Association signs off a final agreement after Ratcliffe extended his purchase offer until the end of this week.
This news will now surely bring to an end a near 18-month process when, back in November of 2022, the American family announced they were looking at either outside investment or a full sale.
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim tried to purchase 100 per cent of the club but it always seemed like the Glazer family preferred either a minority invester or an initial minority purchase which would then lead to a full controlling stake at the club, something that looks to be happening with Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe’s monumental task
If the scale of the job has not already become clear to the British billionaire then these next few weeks will underline how big this job is at Old Trafford.
A new stadium, an entire structural change in terms of recruitment, a new playing squad and potentially a new manager could all be needed in the space of 12 months.
However, with this approval now confirmed, expect a new sporting director to be in the building sooner rather than later to solve the structural issues at the club.
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