INEOS billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the favourite to take over the reins at Old Trafford and bring an end to the Glazer era at the club, according to a new report.
Ratcliffe leads the race despite fierce competition from Qatari investors led by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
The Peoples Person reported that a bid from the Gulf state would be made before the Glazer family’s Friday deadline.
And despite several reports suggesting that Qatar would be likely to outbid Ratcliffe, Football Insider reports, “QIA are adamant that they will not overpay to get a deal over the line. It is for that reason that several experts consulted by this site still consider Ratcliffe’s bid the marginal favourite.”
“It is understood that Ratcliffe has a genuine relationship with Joel and Avram Glazer. Sentiment alone would not be enough to convince the Glazers, but Ratcliffe is working in tandem with JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.”
Football Insider adds that up to four bids are expected but Elon Musk is not expected to be in the running.
The Twitter and Tesla mogul was reported to be monitoring the situation ahead of a possible purchase of United.
Last year, Musk sent United’s share price soaring after he joked that he’s a fan of the Red Devils and wants to buy the club from the Glazers.
Football Insider opines that Musk investing in United is a remote possibility.
The American is unlikely to align his personal brand to United, an institution that operates in an industry fuelled by tribalism.
Despite being a disruptor, Musk is unlikely to favour the rigours of pumping billions into United at the expense of alienating his Tesla investors.
Musk’s reported interest fits into a report, which relayed that United agents are planting stories in the media to drive up the club’s price.