Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalizes agreement to acquire a partial ownership in Manchester United.

In a significant development for Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has acquired a 27.7% stake in the club. The CEO of Ineos, a petrochemicals company, was officially introduced as a minority owner in December. After striking a deal worth £1.3 billion with the Glazer family, Ratcliffe now has control over the club’s football operations. The FA and the Premier League have given their approval to the transaction, which has now been finalized.

Expressing his excitement, Ratcliffe stated, “To become co-owner of Manchester United is a great honor and comes with great responsibility. This marks the completion of the transaction, but just the beginning of our journey to take Manchester United back to the top of English, European, and world football, with world-class facilities for our fans. Work to achieve those objectives will accelerate from today.”

Joel Glazer, United’s executive co-chairman, warmly welcomed Sir Jim as co-owner and expressed his eagerness to collaborate with him and INEOS Sport to ensure a bright future for Manchester United.

Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford, the director of Ineos’ sports division, have wasted no time in revamping United’s football operations. They have already brought in Omar Berrada from Manchester City as the chief executive and are reportedly set to hire Dan Ashworth as the sporting director once his gardening leave from Newcastle United concludes.

Despite the changes behind the scenes, manager Erik ten Hag has reassured everyone that he is fully aligned with the new co-ownership. However, with Manchester United currently sitting in sixth place in the Premier League, the scrutiny on the manager may intensify. The Red Devils find themselves five points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa.

The first match under the club’s confirmed new ownership will be against Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday, February 24. This game will undoubtedly be closely watched as fans eagerly anticipate the impact of the new ownership on the team’s performance.