According to a new book about Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the Manchester United bidder initially explored the possibility of acquiring half of Barcelona and injecting substantial funds into the club. However, he later shifted his focus to taking control of Manchester United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is still in contention to buy United from the Glazer family, who have faced significant criticism.
However, he faces strong competition from Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani. Both consortiums have submitted offers exceeding £5 billion, although falling short of the £6 billion valuation.
Despite the passing of the deadline for final bids and the imminent start of the new season, no preferred bidder has been selected. The Glazers are taking their time to carefully evaluate the offers they have received.
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Initially, it seemed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe was the frontrunner to secure a takeover of Man United. However, recent indications suggest that Sheikh Jassim is now in a more favourable position. The club has not provided any official confirmation or updates regarding the potential sale.
Ratcliffe, the founder of Ineos and owner of Ligue 1 side Nice, has a strong desire to expand his involvement in the sports industry.
He had previously attempted to acquire both Chelsea and United but was unsuccessful. It has now come to light that he also fell short in his pursuit of a deal with Barcelona.
According to a book cited by The Times, Ratcliffe had an intriguing conversation with the club and enjoyed a positive relationship with President Joan Laporta.
When Laporta returned to lead the financially-troubled Barcelona, Ratcliffe sought to facilitate a purchase before the situation became too politically complex.
Ratcliffe said:
“We told them, “Don’t do it – we’ll put in two or three billion, renovate the Nou Camp and have 50 per cent ownership – and sign a deed to say we’d never sell. Our interest was in football alone, not making money. I think it would have worked.”
“We talked about it but, in the end, they didn’t think they could go to the fans with it. The road they are going down is a disaster.”
“They have now sold a chunk of the TV rights, and merchandising rights, for the next 25 years. They’ve sold them to American hedge funds. So they’ve got this big slug of cash, which they can now… waste.”
Barcelona must prioritize the best interests of its members, with around 144,000 socios holding significant power within the club. These socials play a crucial role in electing the president, who acts as a caretaker for the club.
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According to reports, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was deeply concerned upon learning that Joan Laporta and the club’s leadership were considering selling a portion of Barcelona’s television rights to alleviate their financial difficulties.
This development reportedly shocked Ratcliffe, prompting his strong reaction.
