Manchester United - Biz, Financial news 'n rumors

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Manchester United share price rockets by 15% on New York Stock Exchange amid talk of a Jim Ratcliffe takeover or investment from Apollo... earning the Glazer family a reported $240MILLION since last week

* New reports about the ownership of Man United has seen their share price shift
* Share price of the club has now hit $13.77 on the New York Stock Exchange
* Britain's richest man and US private equity firm Apollo have interest in United

Manchester United's share price has increased sharply as reports of an ownership change heated up this week, with speculation mounting that the Glazers might bring in new investors or sell out completely.

British Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe formally expressed an interest in buying the club this week, while Sportsmail revealed the Glazer family are in talks to sell a minority stake to US private equity firm Apollo.

United's share price has now increased 15 percent (to $13.77) over where it stood a week ago, The Times said Thursday as the NYSE opened. This would amount to shares being worth $240m more than they were this time last week.

That figure has been helped by the speculation around a sale of England's most famous football club, bizarrely triggered by Elon Musk's series of tweets joking about buying the club earlier this week.

The Glazer family bought United in 2005, largely using loans as capital in a move that has made them deeply unpopular with the club's supporters.

Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man, has said he would be interested in taking over the club fully if the opportunity presented itself.

'If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,' a spokesperson for him said.

'If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership.'

US private equity firm Apollo have entered into exclusive talks to buy a minority share from the Glazers.


Manchester United's co-chairmen Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer are reportedly open to selling a stake in the club. The New York Stock Exchange shows how United's share price has increased to $13.77. Sir Jim Ratcliffe formally expressed an interest in buying the troubled club this week. Elon Musk sent shockwaves through social media after tweeting 'he's buying Man United'

Although the family are not prepared to cede control of the club — brothers Avram and Joel are expected to keep their shares and oversee the day-to-day running of Old Trafford — other family members are understood to want out.

Also on Thursday, Reuters reported that Musk's tweets are likely to draw scrutiny from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), given the share price movement.

Reuters say regulators would be interested if there was evidence Musk, the world's richest man, purposely or recklessly tried to manipulate the market.

The Manchester United Supporters Trust have consistently called for the club to be sold and on Thursday urged any new prospective owner to commit to the 'culture, ethos and best traditions of the club'.

The fresh calls for new ownership at the club come amid a dismal start to the season for United, who sit in last place after losses to Brighton and Brentford.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11124199/Manchester-United-share-price-takes-sharp-rise-Jim-Ratcliffe-takeover-reports-swirl.html

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Manchester United's American suitors Apollo are accused of financial connections to Vladimir Putin's $10bn sovereign wealth fund, as an MP warns against 'getting into bed with' Russia-linked firm

* Apollo, a New York-based firm, are looking to buy a minority stake in the club
* They have been linked with Russia's second richest man Vladimir Potanin
* Private equity firm also linked to Putin's £10billion sovereign wealth fund

Manchester United have been warned against ‘getting into bed’ with an American company with links to Russia oligarchs sanctioned by the UK Government.

Apollo, the private equity firm in talks with United’s owners, have been accused of financial connections to Russia’s second-richest man and president Vladimir Putin’s £10billion sovereign wealth fund, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The ex-wife of Vladimir Potanin submitted court documents that listed Apollo as one of the US companies in which he had financial interest when Potanin filed for divorce in 2013.

Potanin is Russia’s second-richest man, worth more than £22 billion, and was described by the Government as being part of ‘Putin’s inner circle’.

Apollo also bought Altpoint Capital, formerly known as Stone Tower, in 2011, a private equity fund also listed in the court documents submitted by his ex-wife. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) believed Potanin was the fund’s largest investor.

The firm were also involved in the $2bn (£1.7bn) project to build Steinway Tower in New York, into which another oligarch Albert Avdolyn is reported to have invested $21m (£17.7m).

Avdolyn is an energy and telecoms billionaire who left Russia for the US. Ukraine’s National Agency for Prevention of Corruption last month placed him on its list of individuals whom should be sanctioned by world governments for their alleged support for the war.

Apollo’s founder and former chief executive, Leon Black, meanwhile, sat on the advisory board of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, the country’s $10billion sovereign investment fund. Putin founded it in 2011.


Man United's American suitors Apollo are accused of financial connections to Vladimir Putin. The Glazers, pictured Joel and Avram, are open to selling a minority stake in Man United. It had been hoped that there would be a cash injection to help fund improvements on Old Trafford and Carrington

‘Manchester Utd should be very careful about getting into bed with people who have made fortunes thanks to their closeness to Putin at any time, but especially now when Ukraine is under permanent attack,’ Chris Bryant MP, Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges, told The Mail on Sunday.

Apollo insist that, according to their records, Potanin never invested in their funds and that any interest he may have had in Altpoint Capital/Stone Tower was unwound before they acquired it. They maintain Avdolyan did not invest with them when they provided financing in the Steinway Tower project.

However, a letter from Maryland senators to then US secretary of the treasury in 2018 about concerns of Russian influence on the US elections claimed Altpoint Capital’s ‘largest investor is Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin’.

Sportsmail revealed last week that Apollo are in talks with the Glazers over buying a minority stake in United, United and it is understood they are not the only investor engaged in the discussions.

Manchester United fan groups, as well as Gary Neville, have told Apollo they are ‘not welcome in Manchester’ with further concerns over links between Black and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

It was because of his ties to Putin that Roman Abramovich had his assets frozen in April, leading to the sale of his former club Chelsea to the American businessman Todd Boehly.

Last year, Apollo led a group of investors looking to buy a £8.5bn stake in Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s oil company.

The US Senate Intelligence Committee report on Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election says Black ‘reportedly met one-on-one with Vladimir Putin’ and that he also met billionaire Oleg Deripaska in Russia and America before the oligarch was sanctioned by the US in 2018.

Black also accompanied Donald Trump during his trip to Moscow in 1996 to pursue real estate deals. Black later added he and the former US president ‘might have been in a strip club together’.

Black left Apollo in March last year after an investigation revealed he paid Epstein £125m for financial advice and donated £8.5m to his charity between 2012 and 2017. Epstein died before trial in 2019 on sex trafficking charges.

Black was accused of rape in June last year by former mistress and Russian model Guzel Ganieva. She also alleged that Black tried to arrange a sexual encounter between her and Epstein in 2008. Black has denied the allegations.

‘Let us be blunt: much like the reviled Glazer family, you are not welcome in Manchester,’ said Boycott Movement Against the Glazers, the rebel United fan group, in an open letter. ‘Do not invest.

‘Supporters will no longer allow the club to be a piggy bank for unscrupulous owners, or an asset-stripping exercise for notorious equity firms.

‘We say “notorious” because it has come to light that Apollo’s founder Leon Black has a chequered past with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. We note too that your firm has had some rather unfortunate scandals regarding fraud.

‘We say this genuinely and respectfully: for the sake of your company, your subsidiaries, your assets, do not go near our club.

‘If you do, the biggest sports club supporter base in the world will do everything in our power to tarnish your reputation and ensure it is synonymous with everything you hoped the world had forgotten.’

Talks between United’s owners, the Glazer family, and Apollo are understood to be about how much they will get for their shares, with no immediate plans for fresh money to be pumped into the flailing club with a crumbling stadium.

More anti-Glazer demonstrations are planned when Liverpool visit Old Trafford tomorrow. Their home game against Liverpool in May last year was postponed due to fan protests when supporters stormed on to the pitch.

United legend Neville said it was ‘totally unacceptable’ for United to be sold to a US investment fund.

‘Apollo have been mentioned but they need to know they will not be welcomed in Manchester,’ he wrote on Twitter.

‘The US model of sports ownership is all about significant return on investment (at all cost ie. Super League and Big Picture). The ownership model in England needs to change and US money is a bigger danger to that than any other international money. We need a regulator asap!’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11130591/Man-Uniteds-American-suitors-Apollo-accused-financial-connections-Putins-wealth-fund.html

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Michael Knighton calls on Sir Alex Ferguson to back his Man United takeover bid... claiming he has to act now to avoid allowing 'the wilful destruction' of club under the Glazers to continue

* Michael Knighton has called on Sir Alex Ferguson to help get Man United sold
* The Glazers have come under fierce criticism during their time Old Trafford
* The businessman wants Sir Alex and United's hierarchy to let club change hands
* Knighton, 70, made a bid to buy United, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also interested

Michael Knighton has pleaded for Sir Alex Ferguson to back his Manchester United takeover bid - to stop the Glazers from continuing their 'wilful destruction' of the once great club.

Knighton was a board member at Old Trafford between 1989 and 1992, during Fergie's early years writing his name into folklore at the club, and is still an advisor at the Red Devils to this day.

However, the 70-year-old has called upon the Scot, and other members of the Manchester United hierarchy, to convince the Glazer family to sell up their holding in United, allowing Knighton, or Sir Jim Ratcliffe, to step in instead.

Discussing the situation at the Royal Academy of Arts, as reported by The Sun, Knighton said: 'I call out Sir Alex Ferguson and I call out David Gill.

'I also call out Michael Edelsen, who was a director when I spent three years on the United board, and chairman Martin Edwards used the blueprint I put forward to begin the transformation of the club into the powerhouse it became.

'Ferguson, Gill and Edelsen still work alongside the Glazers. How can they stand by and allow the wilful destruction of Manchester United to continue?

'Sir Alex and David Gill could have stopped the Glazers in their tracks before the takeover happened. For reasons only they know, they didn't. But now they have to act.'


Michael Knighton has called on Sir Alex Ferguson to get the Glazers to sell Manchester United. Sir Alex has been called upon to act as United and their facilities fall far behind their rivals

He feels that now is the right time for 80-year-old Sir Alex to speak out. Knighton said: 'Ferguson only has to look at where the team are in relation to Manchester City and Liverpool.

'Look at Old Trafford. One of the most iconic stadiums in the world, in such a state of disrepair that it's an embarrassment.'

Knighton's audacious bid was overshadowed by Sir Jim's confirmed interest in the United deal.

While the 70-year-old Knighton accepts his team didn't have the money required to fix all Manchester United's problems on and off the pitch, Sir Jim might be the right fit.

Knighton said: 'My consortium doesn't have the funds to do what needs to be done.

'You're talking £2.5bn to buy the club, £500m to pay off the debts, £700m to renovate Old Trafford and another £500m to invest in the team.

'We would need help - and that's why I've been smoking out Sir Jim over the last six months.'

As well as his work with United, Knighton owned Carlisle United for a decade between 1992 and 2002, including taking on a spell as manager of the club.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11132759/Michael-Knighton-calls-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-Glazers-sell-amid-Man-United-takeover-bid.html

[Andi Istiabudi]

Pada suatu titik nanti pasti keluarga Glazer akan menjual saham mayoritas mereka di United. Bahkan bisa jadi pada akhirnya mungkin saja keluarga Glazer tetap memiliki saham di United tapi tidak lagi mayoritas namun dalam porsi yang kecil dan terbatas karena mereka tentunya tidak mau begitu saja kehilangan pendapatan dari salah satu klub sepakbola paling terkenal di seluruh dunia.

Mungkin opsi tersebut yang akan terjadi, dimana akan ada pemilik klub baru dengan saham mayoritas sementara keluarga Glazer tetap memiliki saham dengan jumlah minoritas. Walaupun sebenarnya semua pasti berharap keluarga Glazer menjual seluruh saham milik mereka.

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Man United’s stock market value has rocketed £450m in the last month as investors are excited by the the team’s return to form and bet on a takeover, after Sir Jim Radcliffe said he was interested in buying his boyhood club

* Man United share price on the New York Stock exchange is up nearly 30 per cent
* The rise reflects improved sporting performance after four consecutive wins
* But finance experts say stock is attracting buyers gambling on a takeover
* If United were sold share price would be expected to almost double to $25

Exciting transfers, success on the pitch and investors hoping for a takeover have added £450m to Manchester United’s value in a month.

The club’s shares, quoted on the New York Stock Exchange, have seen their price rise steadily after a sharp decline at the end of last season, which saw United record their worst finish in the Premier League.

Then, the club slipped to seventh place, recording just 57 points. However, after a shaky start, which saw the Red Devils lose at home to Brighton, before being thrashed at Brentford, their performances and prospects have brightened under new manager Erik Ten Hag.

United are now on a run of four consecutive wins with their new signings, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Antony and Casemiro all having a positive impact.

Players and fans are believing again as United begin their Europa League campaign tonight against Real Sociedad. And the feelgood factor has spread beyond the dressing room and Old Trafford to investors, who have found a new desire for the club’s stock.

Yesterday United's shares closed at $14.56, up from $11.39 o August 9, a rise of 28 per cent.

However, while success on the pitch may whet the appetite of potential buyers, what is also driving demand for shares are rumours of a takeover, said football finance expert, Kieran Maguire.

‘It is an increase in the value of the club as far as the market is concerned. Some people are buying into Manchester United’s shares on a speculative basis because they think an offer is going to come in,’ Maguire told Sportsmail.

In mid-August, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain's richest man and a lifelong United fan, excited fans by telling The Times he was interested in buying the club.

Supporters, who routinely protest against the current owners, the Glazer family, over the management of the club and its enduring debt, were delighted and hopeful for a change in ownership.

However, Maguire said the increasing value of United’s shares did not indicate those hopes were about to be realised.


Manchester United have returned to form with four consecutive winsin the last month. Improved performances and rumours of a takeover have excited fans and investors. Erik ten Hag has steadied the ship at Old Trafford taking a pragmatic approach that is working

‘The fact that the share price has only risen to just over $14 shows there is not much credibility in those rumours,’ said the University of Liverpool expert.

On the basis that United would be sold for a figure of around $4billion, Maguire said the share price would be expected to reach around $25, ahead of a sale going through, which would mean those who bought in recent weeks would make a tidy profit.

‘We are a long way off that and there is no indication that the Glazers want to sell, or anyone is willing to buy,’ cautioned Maguire.

‘People are buying based on rumour and gossip rather than anything concrete. What we are seeing at present is a lot of speculative purchasing at $12 or $13 in the hope someone will come with an offer but there is not evidence to support that.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11192433/Man-Uniteds-stock-market-value-rocketed-450M-month-investorsd-bet-takeover.html

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Man United admit pay-outs to get rid of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick cost them £24.7m... after sacking manager four months into a three-year contract - and cancelling his replacement's consultancy role

* Manchester United achieved their lowest Premier League points tally last term
* Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November 2021 after defeat to Watford
* The Norwegian had signed a new three-year contract only four months earlier
* Ralf Rangnick replaced him on an interim basis and agreed a consultancy role
* But United cancelled those plans after Rangnick took the Austria manager's job

Manchester United's annual financial report shows that they spent £24.7million on getting rid of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick over the last year.

The club recorded a net loss of £115.5million for the financial year up to 30 June 2022, compared with £92.2million in 2021.

A significant chunk of their expenditure came from paying off two managers in what was their worst season in Premier League history as they achieved just 58 points.

Solskjaer was sacked in November last year after a 4-1 defeat to Watford that left United seventh in the Premier League table after the first 12 games of the season.

Only four months earlier, Solskjaer had signed a new three-year contract at Old Trafford, meaning United had to pay a hefty fee to sack him.


Manchester United sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer four months into his new three-year contract

Ralf Rangnick came in to replace the Norwegian on an interim basis until the end of the campaign and also agreed to take on a consultancy role at the club for a further two years.

However, after leading United to a sixth-place finish, Rangnick accepted a job as the manager of the Austria national team at the end of the season and the club's hierarchy promptly cancelled the plans for him to stay in Manchester.


Ralf Rangnick's consultancy role at the club was cancelled after he became manager of Austria

The Red Devils won only 38% of their games under Rangnick, the worst win percentage of any United manager in the Premier League era and the club's worst for 50 years.

United's financial report also reveals that their net debt currently stands at £514.9million, up from £419.5million last year.

'Our club's core mission is to win football matches and entertain our fans,' chief executive Richard Arnold commented.

'Since our last earnings report, we have strengthened our men's first team squad, completed a successful summer tour, and established a foundation to build from in the early stages of the 2022/23 season under our new manager Erik ten Hag.

'We have also continued to develop our women's team with an aim of reinforcing our position among the leading clubs in the Women's Super League.

'Ultimately, we know that the strength of Manchester United rests on the passion and loyalty of our fans, which is why we have made fan engagement a strategic priority.

'While there is a lot more work to do, everyone at the club is aligned on a clear strategy to deliver sustained success on the pitch and a sustainable economic model off it, to the mutual benefit of fans, shareholders, and other stakeholders.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11238957/Man-United-admit-pay-outs-rid-Ole-Gunnar-Solskjaer-Ralf-Rangnick-cost-24-7m.html

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Man United set the Premier League RECORD with a £384.2m wage bill - with Cristiano Ronaldo's monster £450K-A-WEEK deal the key contributor - as they smash Man City's £354.6m previous top spend

* Manchester United have set the record for wage spending with a £384.2m total
* Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United last season for a second spell
* Portuguese maestro earns a huge £480,000-per-week, a Premier League high
* The record eclipses the previous high set by local rivals Manchester City
* United have posted financial records that have seen them lose £2million-a-week

The staggering cost of Manchester United’s failure last season was laid bare yesterday when the club released their full-year financial results.

United had a wage bill of £384.2million — the highest in Premier League history — but still finished sixth and dropped into the Europa League. Cristiano Ronaldo’s £500,000-a-week deal helped to push the overall figure up by £61.6m from the previous year, breaking the record of £354.6m set by Manchester City.

The decision to sack manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and then scrap plans to keep interim boss Ralf Rangnick in a consultancy role proved costly, with the club paying out £24.7m in compensation.

The surge in wages takes them past local rivals Manchester City who previously paid out £354.6m in figures from last year.

United's summer business saw them sign Ronaldo for around £13.5m from Juventus, and it came following high profile moves for fellow stars including Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane.

Their moves from Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively cost £77m and £36m - and both are thought to be earning an estimated £350,000 per week.

Only Ronaldo and goalkeeper David de Gea earn more at Old Trafford, meaning their arrivals would also contribute towards the rapid rise.

United's soaring wage bill comes after they reported losses of more than £2million-per-week last season, even though matchday income would have increased following the return of supporters to stadium post Covid.

The Old Trafford club reported a net loss of £115.5m for the season and posted an operating loss of £87.4m for the year to June 30.

Most of these losses come from the spiraling wages paid out.


Cristiano Ronaldo's sky high wages have seen Manchester United set a new record in the Premier League for their salary bill. It comes after the club reported operating losses under American owners, the Glazer family

Fans will also be left fuming to learn net debt has increased once more to over £514.9million (up by £95.4m), doing little to ease the growing resentment towards the club's American owners, the Glazer family.

United put that rise of £95.4 million primarily down to £64.6m of unrealised foreign exchange losses on the retranslation of borrowings in United States dollars.

Revenue rose by £89.1m or 18 per cent to £583m.


United also signed Jadon Sancho last summer, pictured signing his contract with former Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. French World Cup winner Raphael Varane also arrived to high acclaim from Real Madrid

The latest United financial figures showed a large 19.1 per cent increase in wages of £61.6m to £384.2m.

'Our financial results for fiscal 2022 reflect a recovery from the pandemic, a full return of fans and new commercial partnerships offset by increased investment in the playing squad,' said chief financial officer Cliff Baty.

'Our results have been adversely affected by the absence of a summer tour in July 2021, material exceptional and increased utility costs, and the impact of the weakening of sterling on our non-cash finance costs.'


United's soaring wage bill takes them past rivals and previous record holders Manchester City. Manchester United supporters who have protested against the Glazer family's ownership will not be happy to hear of a £95.4million rise in debt to £514.9m in the latest financial figures

United backed new manager Erik ten Hag in a bid to solve their on pitch problems, spending a club-record £220m this summer.

Chief executive Richard Arnold said: ‘Clearly our on-pitch performance in finishing sixth last season fell short of our aims and expectations. In response, we have made important and necessary changes, including new leadership under Erik ten Hag and the strengthening of the playing squad.’

Football director John Murtough claimed that the summer business had put the club ahead of schedule but promised more signings. He said: ‘We will continue to support Erik in ensuring he has players with the right quality to achieve success.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11238981/Manchester-United-set-Premier-League-RECORD-384-2m-wage-bill-Cristiano-Ronaldo-key-rise.html

[Andi Istiabudi]

Hutangnya tidak lunas-lunas nih

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Saudi Arabia's PIF were offered a 30 per cent stake in a Premier League club - thought to be Man United - for £700m but with no actual control over managing them BEFORE they completed their £305m Newcastle takeover in 2021

* PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan has revealed they were offered a 30 per cent stake in a Premier League club a year before they bought Newcastle United
* The share would have cost £700m but didn't come with any managing control
* Saudi investors were linked with a buy-out of Manchester United in early 2019
* PIF went on to purchase a complete controlling stake in Newcastle for £305m

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) were offered a 30 per cent stake in a Premier League club - believed to be Manchester United - for £700million before they bought Newcastle United.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF, said they looked at clubs in Italy, France and the United Kingdom before their £305m takeover at Newcastle, which was completed in October last year.

Al-Rumayyan said the PIF were approached 'on the basis that we take 30 per cent of the ownership, and we don't interfere at all in terms of managing the club, for £700m'.

Reports in early 2019 suggested Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the chairman of the PIF sovereign wealth fund, was interested in buying United from the Glazer family, who have been the subject of growing fan protests in recent months.

No deal materialised and the Saudis turned their attention to buying Newcastle, who offered them and their fellow investors Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers complete control, in 2020.

Their £305m deal took over a year to be ratified.


Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), has revealed they were offered a 30 per cent stake in a Premier League club in 2019. The Saudi investors were linked with buying a share of Manchester United in early 2019

In an interview in Saudi Arabia, Al-Rumayyan said: 'Football, of course, is one of the most important sports there is. Whether domestically or abroad.

'It's the No 1 sport in the world. And why the Premier League? Because it's the best league in the world. No other league competes with it.

'There are 20 teams, three are relegated and three are promoted. The advantage of the Premier League is that any of the 20 teams can beat the best team in the league.

'When we looked at it, we looked at it from a financial perspective. By the way, it wasn't the first offer we got regarding a football team. We looked in Italy, France and the UK as well.

'For example, in the UK there was a team that approached us on the basis that we take 30 per cent of the ownership, and we don't interfere at all in terms of managing the club, for £700m.'

Al-Rumayyan went on to say that Newcastle offered far better value because PIF had more control over the club.

He added: 'Then we bought Newcastle, who offered us 100 per cent of the ownership.

'But Amanda Staveley and her husband who got us the opportunity told us, "We like it so much, we would like to be with you." That was perfect.


PIF went on to buy Newcastle United for £305m - Al-Rumayyan is pictured in the stands at St James' Park with fellow investor Amanda Staveley . Man United's American owners, the Glazer family, have always insisted the club isn't for sale

'Then came the Reuben family who are one of the biggest property investors, saying that, "We would like to come with you", and these are one of the biggest investors in Newcastle.

'I said, "Perfect! Tell them to come". So now they have a skin in the game.

'We bought the whole team for £305m, instead of having only 30 per cent in another team for £700m.'

Newcastle were fighting relegation when the Saudi takeover took place but their fortunes improved after Eddie Howe replaced Steve Bruce as manager and they ultimately finished 11th.

The Magpies have lost only once in the Premier League so far this season, but have drawn five times and won only twice to sit seventh.

Newcastle beat Fulham 4-1 at Craven Cottage on Saturday and host Brentford this weekend.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11279433/Man-United-stake-offered-Saudi-Arabia-PIF-Newcastle-takeover.html

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'I met with Joel and Avram - and they are the nicest people - and they don't want to sell it': Sir Jim Ratcliffe reveals he tried to buy Manchester United this summer, but was told by the Glazers that the club is NOT for sale

* Sir Jim Ratcliffe has asked, but has been told Manchester United is not for sale
* The entrepreneur was interested in buying - if the Glazers made it available
* However, he said he met Joel and Avram Glazer, but was told it was not on offer
* The chemicals entrepreneur also spoke about his roles at Nice and Lausanne

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has revealed that while he has told the Glazers family of his intention to buy Manchester United, he has been informed that the club is not for sale.

He had previously targeted both Manchester United and Chelsea as possible acquisition targets, and the topic was a point of discussion during Tuesday evening's discussion with the Financial Times.

The Glazer family have been majority shareholders of Manchester United since 2005, and Joel and Avram Glazer are co-chairmen of the club.

In the interview, Ratcliffe said: 'I met with Joel and Avram, and they are the nicest people, and they don't want to sell it. If it had been for sale in the summer, yes, we would probably have had a go, following on from the Chelsea thing.

'But we can't sit around hoping one day Manchester United will become available.'

He revealed that his favourite moment as a lifelong Manchester United fan was being there when they made their late comeback to win the Champions League in 1999.

He also spoke about his many other involvements in the world of sport. Ratcliffe added: 'We have a sports franchise, which is a really interesting franchise. We own a third of the Mercedes Formula 1 team, which has been the most successful of the last few years - robbed last year. We've got a great cycling team. Eliud Kipchoge we're quite close to. And probably the most challenging of all is Ben Ainslie with his America's Cup challenge, which is going quite well at the moment. That's a couple of years away.'


Sir Jim Ratcliffe told a live audience that Manchester United is not for sale, despite his interest. Avram and Joel Glazer told Ratcliffe that Manchester United was not for sale this summer. Ratcliffe also spoke about being in charge of French's side Nice and the Swiss team Lausanne

Ratcliffe also revealed he met Khaldoon Mubarak, the owner of Manchester City, on the guise of chemical investments - but then revealed: 'After 2 hours and 15 minutes, we got onto the subject of chemicals. You can probably imagine what we were talking about.'

However, he noted that football was something he wanted to increase his involvement in. The INEOS owner and co-founder is also in control of Ligue 1 side Nice in France's top flight, and Lausanne in Switzerland, both of which he mentioned in conversation.

The INEOS Sport brand is led by Ratcliffe, with co-owners Andy Currie and John Reece.

'The most popular sport in the world is football, it's the sport which John, Andy and myself were brought up with, and it's closest to us. We should have an asset in a sporting franchise.'

When asked if it should be a "Premiership" club, Ratcliffe replied: 'A premier club. Nice has got a very interesting history, it's an old club, it's a very nice place, it's an attractive place for footballers. It's a Californian climate down there.

'If I look at what Mubarak did with Manchester City, or what the Qatari's did with PSG, then we'll be able to look at what we might be able to do with Nice.'

Earlier in the conversation, the 69-year-old entrepreneur said he wasn't thinking about entering any more business sectors. Ratcliffe said: 'I can't handle more. And we've got sport, we're trying to wrap our heads around how to run a football club.'

He elaborated further about his involvements with Ligue 1 Nice and Swiss Challenge League side Lausanne.

'We were fairly hands off with Nice for the first two or three years. We got more involved as of this summer. We're quite focused on what we can do about Nice,' he told the FT’s Jonathan Guthrie.

'Lausanne was our initial foray. It's a nice place. The Swiss league is the Swiss league, it's not at the same level as the French league or the UK. But we have a decent team.'

He also revealed bonding with German union workers by talking about football.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11304087/Sir-Jim-Ratcliffe-tried-buy-Manchester-United-Glazers-said-club-NOT-sale.html