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☆ Success, not returns: Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe on his sole focus for the soccer club
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Sam Meredith | Www.Linkedin.Com In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jim Ratcliffe of INEOS meets members of the press ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on January 14, 2024 in Manchester, England. New Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said on Friday that return on investment had nothing to do with his decision to invest in the English soccer giant. Ratcliffe's comments come shortly after the British petrochemicals billionaire and INEOS chief executive finally completed a deal to buy a minority stake in Manchester United. The Glazer family, which have owned Manchester United since 2005, retain a majority stake under the terms of the agreement. "And also, we have moved into consumer markets, you know certainly automotive is a huge consumer market obviously, and the INEOS name wasn't particularly well known so, through sport, obviously people are getting to know INEOS," Ratcliffe said.

Persons: Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS, Ratcliffe, Glazer, CNBC's Arabile, That's, we've Organizations: Premier League, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Old, New Manchester United, Ratcliffe's Locations: Old Trafford, Manchester, England, New

United’s goals, scored by Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford, were things of beauty at the start and end of the first half. Ratcliffe, the owner of petrochemicals giant INEOS, agreed last month to buy a minority stake in United and will take charge of United’s soccer operations. The deal requires Premier League approval, which Ratcliffe said Sunday he expects to come next month. “I have done a few exciting things," the British billionaire told media before kickoff, "but this caps it all. MISSED OPPORTUNITYAston Villa's players headed to Everton seeking a win to move level on points with league leader Liverpool, the team from just across Stanley Park.

Persons: Alex Ferguson, Jim Ratcliffe, Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, —, Rodrigo Bentancur, Andre Onana, James Maddison, Son Heung, Yves Bissouma, Ratcliffe, “, ”, Ange Postecoglou, Timo Werner, Bentancur, Aston, Alex Moreno, Emiliano Martinez, Everton, ___ Steve Douglas Organizations: Manchester United, Tottenham, Premier League, United, England’s Champions, Spurs, Europe’s, ” Tottenham, Everton, Liverpool, Goodison, Villa, Manchester City Locations: Old Trafford, United, Germany, Stanley, Manchester, Villa

☆ Man United nears sale of 25% stake to Jim Ratcliffe for $33 a share -Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Glazer family announced last November that they were exploring "strategic alternatives" for the club, including a possible sale and were open to fresh investment. Manchester United's U.S.-listed shares rose 9.5% to $20.10 in early trading on Friday. Manchester United generates more revenue and has a larger fan base than its London rival. The Glazer family has faced intense criticism from fans over its handling of this key part of the club's operations. The six descendants of American businessman Malcolm Glazer, who died in 2014, currently control 96% of Manchester United's voting stock.

Persons: Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe, Ratcliffe, Sir Alex Ferguson, Richard Arnold, Roman Abramovich, Todd Boehly, Phil Noble, Malcolm Glazer, Ineos, Eva Mathews, Matt Scuffham, Arun Koyyur, Susan Fenton Organizations: Manchester, soccer, Sky News, Old, Manchester United, Premier League soccer, Chelsea, U.S, Clearlake, REUTERS, Reuters, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Forbes, Ligue, Nice, Swiss Super League, FC Lausanne, Racing Club Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ligue, Grenadiers, Thomson Locations: Old Trafford, Manchester United's U.S, London, Manchester, Britain, Ineos, British, Bengaluru

☆ Man United nears $33 per share stake deal with Ratcliffe - Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The offer represents a premium of 79.1% to the stock's Thursday closing price of $18.43, which gave the Old Trafford club a market capitalization of about $3 billion. Ratcliffe, also the chair of petrochemicals firm Ineos, would pay more than $1.5 billion for a 25% stake in United if his bid for the soccer club is accepted, Reuters reported in October. The Glazer family, which made its fortune in real estate, retail and healthcare and owns the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, bought the team for 790 million pounds in 2005. The six descendants of American businessman Malcolm Glazer, who died in 2014, together control 96% of Manchester United's voting stock. The deal was yet to be finalised and remained the subject of ongoing negotiations, Sky News reported on Friday.

Persons: Jim Ratcliffe, Phil Noble, Glazer, Ratcliffe, Malcolm Glazer, Richard Arnold, Patrick Stewart, Eva Mathews, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Manchester, soccer, Sky News, Old, U.S, Reuters, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Premier League, Thomson Locations: Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain, United, Bengaluru

☆ Manchester United tumbles as Ratcliffe's stake bid report dents buyout hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ineos Chair Jim Ratcliffe would pay over $1.5 billion for the stake in Manchester United if his bid for the soccer club is accepted by the Glazer family that controls it, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing a person familiar with the matter. "Investors are clearly reacting with disappointment to expectations the Qatar deal for Manchester United will not go through," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown. "Expectations for a flood of fresh funding into Man U's coffers for a new stadium and new players are being revised." Jassim informed the Glazer family a few days ago that he will not raise his bid of more than $6 billion for Manchester United, which had a market capitalization of $3.26 billion as of Friday's close. Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jim Ratcliffe, Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani, Ineos, Glazer, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Jassim, Sruthi Shankar, Shinjini Organizations: Manchester United, Reuters, Premier League, Hargreaves, Thomson Locations: Qatar, Bengaluru

The move leaves the remaining bidder for Manchester United, Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe, in a stronger position. The exact value that Ratcliffe's bid infers on Manchester United could not be learned, but the sources said it was higher than Jassim's offer of more than $6 billion. Manchester United is currently valued by the stock market at $3.3 billion. Representatives for Jassim declined to comment while Manchester United and Ratcliffe representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Record 20-time English champions, Manchester United has over 650 million fans worldwide, according to market research firm Kantar.

Persons: Phil Noble Livepic, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani, Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe, Jassim, Ratcliffe, Todd Boehly, Malcolm Glazer, Alex Ferguson's, Erik ten Hag, Anirban Sen, Mrinmay Dey, Chizu Organizations: Soccer, Manchester United, Europa League, Friends, Reuters, Manchester United Plc, Representatives, Sky News, Chelsea Football Club, Clearlake, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, League, Manchester City, Thomson Locations: Stockholm, Sweden, Manchester, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Exclusive: Ratcliffe would pay more than $1.5 bln for 25% Manchester United stake-source
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Anirban Sen | Thomson Reuters | Anirban Sen Is The Editor In Charge For U.S. M A At Reuters In New York | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That is slightly higher than a rival offer from Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani for $100% of the Premier League club. Manchester United is currently valued by the stock market at $3.3 billion. Sheikh Jassim informed the Glazer family in the last few days that he would not be raising his bid further. Ratcliffe has offered to be in charge of hiring and managing talent at Manchester United should his bid prevail, the source said. Manchester United and Ratcliffe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Jim Ratcliffe, Glazer, Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al, Sheikh Jassim, Ratcliffe, Malcolm Glazer, Ineos, Todd Boehly, Erik ten Hag, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis, Sandra Maler, Diane Craft Organizations: Manchester United Plc, Manchester United, Premier League, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Forbes, Ligue, Nice, Swiss Super League, FC Lausanne, Racing Club Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ligue, Grenadiers, Chelsea Football Club, Clearlake, Manchester, League, Manchester City, Thomson Locations: Qatar's, Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani, Manchester, Ineos, British, New York

☆ Manchester United negotiating exclusivity with Qatar's Sheikh Jassim in $6 billion-plus sale talks — sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 03: A Manchester United flag is waved from the stands during the Emirates FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on June 03, 2023 in London, England. Ratcliffe's offer envisions that the Glazers would keep some interest in Manchester United. Manchester United would not be allowed to negotiate with any bidder other than Sheikh Jassim for the exclusivity period. The sources cautioned that the situation remained fluid and a new bid from Ratcliffe could prevent Sheikh Jassim from securing exclusivity. Representatives for Manchester United and Sheikh Jassim did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Michael Regan, Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad, Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS, Sheikh Jassim Organizations: Manchester, Emirates, Manchester City, Manchester United, Wembley, Getty, Qatari, Manchester United . Manchester United, Representatives Locations: ENGLAND, London, England, Thani, Ratcliffe

☆ Exclusive: Manchester Utd negotiating exclusivity with Qatar's Sheikh Jassim in $6 billion-plus sale talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Anirban Sen | Thomson Reuters | Anirban Sen Is The Editor In Charge For U.S. M A At Reuters In New York | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Manchester United is widely seen as one of the most prized assets in all of sport. Shares of Manchester United jumped nearly 15% on the news, before paring some gains. Manchester United would not be allowed to negotiate with any bidder other than Sheikh Jassim for the exclusivity period. The sources cautioned that the situation remained fluid and a new bid from Ratcliffe could prevent Sheikh Jassim from securing exclusivity. Representatives for Manchester United and Sheikh Jassim did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad, Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe, INEOS, Sheikh Jassim, Anirban Sen, Amy, Jo Crowley, Greg Roumeliotis Organizations: Manchester United, Qatari, Manchester United . Manchester United, National Football League's Washington, Representatives, Deloitte, Thomson Locations: Thani, Ratcliffe, New York, London

☆ Manchester United shares hit two-month high on speculations over takeover bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 13 (Reuters) - Shares of Manchester United (MANU.N) jumped 13% to hit a two-month high on Tuesday after a report hinted that Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani was likely to succeed with his takeover bid for the English football club. Qatar's Al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday that Sheikh Jassim, son of a former prime minister of the country, was poised to be announced as the preferred bidder of the Premier League soccer club, CNBC said. Manchester United declined a Reuters request for comment. New York-listed shares of Manchester United were trading at $23.07, after rising as much as 30% before the opening bell. The Glazer family is reportedly seeking 6 billion pounds ($7.5 billion), which would be a world record for any sports club or franchise, but neither bid is that high.

Persons: Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad, Thani, Qatar's, Sheikh Jassim, Molly Darlington, Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS, Sheikh Jassim's, Glazer, Medha Singh, Aditya Soni, Shinjini Organizations: Manchester United, English, Watan, Premier League soccer, CNBC, Reuters, Soccer Football, Manchester City, FA, REUTERS, Mail, Thomson Locations: Qatar's Al, Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Manchester United shares climb on speculations over takeover bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 13 (Reuters) - Manchester United's shares (MANU.N) were up 15% in premarket trading on Tuesday after a report hinted that Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani was likely to succeed with his takeover bid for the English football club. Qatar's Al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday evening that Sheikh Jassim, son of a former prime minister of the country, was poised to be announced as the preferred bidder of the Premier League soccer club, CNBC said. Manchester United declined a Reuters request for comment. New York-listed shares of Manchester United were up at $23.07, paring almost half their premarket gains on Tuesday. The Glazer family is reportedly seeking 6 billion pounds ($7.5 billion), which would be a world record for any sports club or franchise, but neither bid is that high.

Persons: Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad, Thani, Qatar's, Sheikh Jassim, Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS, paring, Glazer, Sheikh Jassim's, Medha Singh, Aditya Soni, Shinjini Organizations: Manchester United's, English, Watan, Premier League soccer, CNBC, Reuters, Manchester United, Daily Mail, Thomson Locations: Qatar's Al, . New York, Bengaluru

☆ Ineos's bid values Manchester United at more than 5 billion pounds, the Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 29 (Reuters) - Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos has outbid a Qatari group led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani in the battle to buy Manchester United (MANU.N), The Times reported on Saturday, citing sources. Ineos is the only bidder to have valued the club higher than 5 billion pounds ($6.29 billion), the report added. ($1 = 0.7954 pounds)(This story has been corrected to fix the bid value in the headline and tense in paragraph 1)Reporting by Rahat Sandhu in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Morning Bid: Up, up and away
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In Europe, money markets show that investors are already betting on a peak European Central Bank rate around 3.75% by late summer, up from levels around 3.4% earlier this month. Investors are unwinding earlier bets after a string of hawkish comments from policymakers, forcing European shares to retreat further from one-year highs. ECB officials have highlighted their fears about stubborn underlying inflation. Meanwhile, in a week when India hosts the year's first G20 finance and central bank chiefs meeting, from Feb. 22-25, tough global discussions over debt forgiveness for poor nations are going to get even trickier. Key developments that could influence markets on Monday:Economic data: Euro zone Feb consumer confidenceU.S. markets closedReporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Liverpool owner Henry rules out sale of the club
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Liverpool's American owner John Henry has said there are no plans to sell the Premier League club after the Merseyside outfit's owners said in November they were exploring a sale. After FSG's initial statement, Liverpool chairman Tom Werner said there was no urgency to complete any potential deal. Are talking with investors about Liverpool? I believe so, but it won't be a sale. Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ratcliffe's INEOS confirm bid for Manchester United
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Manchester United have received a bid from Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS for "majority ownership" of the Premier League club, the chemical firm confirmed on Saturday, adding that it would look implement a fan-centred approach. British billionaire Ratcliffe, a life-long United fan and founder of INEOS, has previously openly expressed his interest in buying the Old Trafford club. "We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community," INEOS said in a statement. "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." "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," the statement said.

☆ Investors recognising clubs' value ahead of Man Utd bids, says finance expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Sophie Penney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

United (MANU.N) are set to receive multiple offers ahead of the initial deadline for bids expiring later on Friday, kicking off potentially the largest sports deal ever. "Football is big, big business from an investment standpoint," said Joyce, CEO & co-founder of CLV Group. "The bar's been set in terms of the value of sports teams and football teams in particular as brands." FINANCIAL INCENTIVEThe Glazers bought United for 790 million pounds ($947 million) in 2005, and Joyce said there was plenty of financial incentive for them to sell the club. "We've looked at India and Indonesia as well where there's at least 100 million pounds plus.

☆ Billionaire Najafi set to launch $3.75bn takeover bid for Spurs - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi, chair of MSP Sports Capital, is set to launch a $3.75 billion takeover bid for Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Najafi is also a minority shareholder in the National Basketball Association team Phoenix Suns. Tottenham, currently managed by Antonio Conte, have 39 points after 23 games in the league this season and sit two points outside the top four. Other Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool are also seeking investment, with Qatari investors preparing to make a bid to buy United while Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS formally entered the bidding process last month. Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr and Manasi Pathak; Editing by Alison Williams and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Qatari investors preparing imminent bid for Manchester United - Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Qatari investors are preparing to make a bid to buy Premier League club Manchester United "in the coming days", Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the deal. The report added that the consortium will submit an initial bid for the club by the end of the week, and that officials from the Qatar Investment Authority are helping with preparations for the bid. Reuters has contacted Manchester United for comment. read more read moreEarlier this month, the Daily Mail newspaper reported that Qatari investors are planning to make a huge bid to buy Premier League club Manchester United. (This story has been corrected to say Qatar Investment Authority, not Qatar Sports Investments, in paragraph 2)Reporting by Aadi Nair; Editing by Jan Harvey and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

United and Liverpool are the two most successful teams in English football but have won only one league title each in the past decade. "You get a lot of money from the Premier League, from broadcasting and sponsorship, but you also have to put a lot of money in to keep your team." "The failure of the proposal and the failure of Premier League clubs to gain greater power in the running of the league are likely influencing factors," said Spencer Harris, Associate Professor of Sport Management at the University of Colorado. "The current owners (of Liverpool and United) don't have the finances to compete and invest on the level of these other clubs." "(There is a) general realisation that English Premier League teams, the two biggest ones per se, are relatively uncapitalized versus NFL franchises, which have been a barometer for a longer period of time."

The club is one of the world's biggest sporting brands and generated 689 million euros ($750.94 million) in revenue in 2021-22. "Chelsea getting sold in 2022 means a rate has been established on the value of a Premier League club," Joyce said. The Glazers bought United for 790 million pounds in 2005 in a highly-leveraged deal which has been criticised for loading debt onto the club. OLD TRAFFORD INVESTMENTThe Chelsea deal involved the new owners paying 2.5 billion pounds ($3.10 billion) to purchase shares while committing a further 1.75 billion pounds to invest in the club, particularly the stadium. Media reports suggest it would cost one to two billion pounds to renovate.

☆ Who could buy Manchester United and how much is it worth?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS formally entered the bidding process to buy Manchester United on Tuesday, months after the club owners, the Glazer family, said they were considering selling the club as they explore "strategic alternatives". MIDDLE EASTERN INVESTORSUnited's local rivals Manchester City are bankrolled by the Abu Dhabi United Group, while Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund completed a 300 million pound buyout of Newcastle United in 2021. Bloomberg News reported this week that United, Tottenham Hotspur or Liverpool were being targeted by QSI for a potential acquisition. The Times newspaper, which first reported Ratcliffe's INEOS entering the bidding, said that interest from the United States and Asia is also expected. Asked by the BBC at the time if he needed to raise four billion pounds to buy United, O'Neill said: "I'm not sure if it'll necessarily be that much, but let's see."

☆ INEOS confirms entering bidding process to buy Manchester United
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The logo of British soccer club Manchester United is seen at a lounge during the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023 in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Arnd WiegmannJan 17 (Reuters) - Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS has formally entered the bidding process to buy Premier League soccer club Manchester United, a spokesperson for the chemical firm told Reuters on Tuesday. In August, British billionaire Ratcliffe, a long-time fan of the club, expressed interest in buying United, Reuters reported. "I can confirm that we have formally put ourselves into the process," an INEOS spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. INEOS's interest in United comes after the energy group also bought French Ligue 1 club Nice in 2019.

☆ Manchester United fans want more say under any new owners
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 23 (Reuters) - Manchester United needs new owners and fresh investment to halt years of decline and fans should be given a real say in how the club is run in future, the Supporters Trust MUST said on Wednesday. "Any new ownership structure must embed supporters, including a degree of fan share ownership, in their operating model." Manchester (United) is a marketing club," Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo said this month in an explosive interview that led to his departure. Duncan Drasdo, the MUST chief executive, told Sky Sports television "the real way to unlock the value of Manchester United is to work in partnership with the fans, not exploit them as customers. Ratcliffe, a lifelong United fan who heads chemicals company INEOS, said last month he had contacted the Glazer family about buying United but was told the club was not for sale.

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