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The Manchester United sale saga saw several significant developments over the weekend that may bring some clarity to the ongoing process.
Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, one of the two remaining bidders interested in acquiring the Premier League club, reportedly withdrew his $6.1 billion offer for the team. Additionally, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is close to acquiring a 25% stake in Manchester United.
The Manchester United board is set to vote on Ratcliffe’s purchase of the minority stake that could be valued at $1.5 billion or more. Last week, Ratcliffe reportedly became the frontrunner to buy into Manchester United.
If the transaction is approved, Ratcliffe could acquire some shares of the team from members of the Glazers, although the family would still retain a majority stake in the club.
Ratcliffe could end up with control of on-field team operations, and the deal in general could be a first step to the billionaire ultimately buying the majority of Manchester United in the future.
For now, it appears that Ratcliffe is the only person still in the running to buy some or all of Manchester United, depending on what the Glazers are willing to give up. There is no official timeline for when the next steps will be taken.
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