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Friday, February 20, 2026

Ratcliffe Could Run Man United Operations With Minority Stake

  • Jim Ratcliffe could acquire a 25% minority stake in Manchester United this week.
  • The British billionaire could get control of soccer operations under the deal.
Manchester United players Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford
Manchester United

Disgruntled Manchester United fans might not get the Glazer family to sell the Premier League club outright — but there could be some key changes to the team’s day-to-day structure.

As part of Jim Ratcliffe’s proposal to buy a 25% minority stake in Manchester United for north of $1.5 billion, the British billionaire reportedly is looking to have full control of the club’s soccer operations. Ratcliffe wants the power to appoint his own decision-makers for on-field team operations.

Manchester United is currently 10th in the EPL table and bottom of its four-team group in the UEFA Champions League, having lost the first two of six matches in group play.

Off The Field

Additionally, Ratcliffe could look to have representatives from his chemicals company INEOS on Manchester United’s board. For now, Ratcliffe isn’t seeking control of Manchester United’s commercial decisions — including recent record deals with Adidas and American tech company Qualcomm totaling nearly $200 million annually.

While the purchase of one-fourth of Manchester United — valued at more than $6 billion as part of the deal — could be the first step in an eventual full takeover of the club from the Glazers, there appears to be no official timeline discussed for such a move.

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