Ineos have announced they’ve made an offer for Manchester United.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, chairman of one of Qatar’s biggest banks, has also tabled a bid.
The Glazer family are considering selling the club and a ‘soft deadline’ of Friday had been set for proposals.
Ineos said it wants to make the club a “beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership”.
In a statement confirming its bid for the 20-time English champions, the company added: “We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community.
“We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again.”
It added: “We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.
“We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League.”
The Ineos group, owned by 70-year-old British billionaire Ratcliffe, has a history of investment in sport and owns French Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss Super League club Lausanne.
