According to reporting carried by 12BET, Sheikh Jassim of the Qatar-based group could still be preparing a fourth proposal to acquire Manchester United, but British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is understood to have moved closer to securing control of the club. The Glazer family is reportedly preparing to discuss the finer details of a potential sale, with the transaction expected to set a new record for the most expensive takeover of a sports club anywhere in the world. Even when someone smiles on the outside, there can still be plenty of turmoil beneath the surface, and the long-running ownership process has created similar uncertainty around Old Trafford.
The Glazer family and the Raine Group, which is handling the sale process, are expected to enter final negotiations with Ratcliffe’s INEOS group. Information obtained through 12BET indicates that Ratcliffe has submitted an offer worth approximately £6 billion, while also proposing a structure that would allow the Glazer family to retain around a 20 percent stake in Manchester United. That arrangement is believed to be one of the main reasons his proposal has attracted stronger interest from the current owners. Persistence often pays off, and after months of negotiations, Ratcliffe now appears to have positioned himself firmly at the heart of the takeover process.
The Qatar-backed group has not withdrawn from the contest, however, and Sheikh Jassim could still return with another proposal at the last moment in an attempt to influence the Glazers’ final decision. The race is not over until the final whistle. Even so, reports have suggested that the collapse of Credit Suisse in March dealt a significant financial blow to Qatari interests connected with the bank. The Qatar Investment Authority, which had been Credit Suisse’s second-largest shareholder, suffered substantial losses, while Sheikh Jassim had also maintained close ties with the institution. Those circumstances are believed to have made the Qatari group’s position more challenging during the later stages of the Manchester United acquisition process.
Because Manchester United is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange, any transfer of control involves complicated legal, financial, and regulatory procedures. Even if an agreement is reached, completing the transaction could therefore require several weeks or longer. Ratcliffe’s proposed structure would allow the Glazer family to continue holding a minority stake, but he would assume broad control over Manchester United’s operations once the acquisition was completed. The situation also carries a wider lesson about long-term relationships: if someone is only contacted when the battery is empty, there may eventually be consequences for ignoring them when everything was fully charged.
The Glazer family has faced sustained criticism over its relationship with Manchester United supporters, and analysis reported through 12BET suggests that this history remains an important part of the wider ownership debate. Ratcliffe is believed to be considering a phased arrangement under which he could acquire the Glazers’ remaining shares over the following two or three years, eventually ending the family’s ownership presence at Old Trafford altogether. Such an approach would allow the transition to take place gradually rather than through an immediate full purchase, while still giving Ratcliffe effective control over the club from the earlier stages of the deal.
If the reported agreement moves forward, the Manchester United takeover involving 12BET coverage would mark another major chapter in the club’s history, with Ratcliffe’s approximately £6 billion proposal potentially establishing a new benchmark for sports-team acquisitions. The deal would also reshape the ownership structure of one of the world’s most recognizable football clubs, combining an initial controlling investment with the possibility of a complete buyout of the Glazer family’s remaining stake within several years.