Sir Jim Ratcliffe's brutal five-word putdown after being asked about Man Utd takeover rival - The Mirror

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe raised eyebrows with his response after being quizzed about his rival in the race to take control of the Premier League giants

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe had a quizzical response when confronted about a rival bid to take over Manchester United. And the Ineos chief wasn't entirely convinced his competitor was even a real person.

It was back in December 2023 that Ratcliffe agreed to buy a 27.7% stake in United for around £1.3billion, though he's since increased that stake to 28.9%. At the time, the Briton beat out a rival bid from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was only interested in purchasing the club from the Glazer family outright but failed in his £5.5bn proposal.

Ratcliffe's future as a United shareholder is suddenly believed to be under threat following word a new investor is in talks to buy the club. That's after Saudi sports chief Turki Al-Sheikh claimed to have an inside scoop when he wrote on X this week: "The best news I heard today is that Manchester United is now in an advanced stage of completing a deal to sell to a new investor."

Al-Sheikh later walked back those comments somewhat and conceded the proposed purchase "might not necessarily happen." And it wouldn't be the first time Ratcliffe has cause to feel sceptical on a rival offer after previously commenting on Sheikh Jassim's attempts.

"Still nobody’s ever seen him, actually. The Glazers never met him," he said last year after being asked about the "odd" nature of Sheikh Jassim's low-visibility during the bidding process. He then delivered a brutal five-word summary of his former rival: "I’m not sure he exists! [Laughs]."

There was an air of mystique regarding Sheikh Jassim's candidacy while the bidding process reached its peak in 2023. While Ratcliffe has long been a prominent business magnate and already owned European clubs like Nice and Lausanne, Sheikh Jassim was largely in the background of his own proposal.

The son of former Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani saw his proposal crumble in opposition to Ratcliffe's. While the Briton was content purchasing a minority stake in the club that could increase over time, Sheikh Jassim wanted to purchase the whole pie with his £5.5bn attempt.

In the end, the offer was overlooked due to concerns over whether the Sheikh and his team could provide proof of funds. But not even two years later, there is fresh talk of a new takeover taking place.

While that may seem strange so soon after Ratcliffe's investment, it's emerged exactly how another change of hands can take place. That's due to 'drag-along' clauses included in his agreement, which give the Glazer family rights to force a sale if certain conditions are met.

Ratcliffe had first-refusal rights to try and match any offer that comes in, although this expired in August. However, the Glazers now hold the authority to enforce a deal.

Although details of any new bid remains scarce, it isn't believed Sheikh Jassim has made another attempt to take over United. However, potential buyer Thomas Zilliacus would be prepared to welcome fellow investors like the Qatari should their intentions be in the right place.

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