One of Britain’s richest businessmen will have to dig deep if he wants to become the new owner of Manchester United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a boyhood supporter of United, could have to fork out as much as £5billion to buy one of the most famous football clubs in the world.
The chairman of global chemical company INEOS wants to initially buy a stake in the Old Trafford side before later taking full control.
A spokesman for the entrepreneur confirmed that he would welcome the chance to talk to the club's American owners, the Glazer family.
"If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer," the spokesman told the Times.
The comments follow a report which claims the Glazers are considering selling a minority stake in the club.
The news prompted a sharp rise in the share price, even as the team struggles.
Shares jump
The shares closed yesterday at £11.36 - up 7.1% - giving the club a stock market value of £1.88billion.
United, the 20-time English champions, are bottom of the Premier League after losing both their opening games of the season under new manager Erik ten Hag.
The woeful start has intensified criticism of the Glazers and their perceived lack of investment in the team.
This summer has seen new signings fail to materialise, while superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo could be heading for the exit.
The club has hit hard times since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and has not won a trophy since 2017.
There have been multiple protests against the Glazers ownership in recent years, including one in May 2021 which caused the Red Devils' home league match against Liverpool to be postponed.
United fans are planning another protest against the American family during their latest meeting with their Anfield rivals on Monday at Old Trafford.
Fresh investment
Sir Jim's spokesman said that fresh investment into the club could be used to help upgrade infrastructure, including the stadium which is in need of a major overhaul and modernisation.
"This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset," the spokesman added.
It is understood that while the Glazers 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 believed to want out.
It was reported on Wednesday night that the Glazer family were engaged in exclusive talks with an American private equity firm, Apollo, over the sale of a minority stake.
And, earlier yesterday, the world’s richest person Elon Musk said he was joking after tweeting he was going to buy United.
Sir Jim. who is 69, is worth an estimated £13.5billion.
In May, he made an unsuccessful £4.25bn offer to buy Chelsea after Roman Abramovich put the London club up for sale.
INEOS operations in Scotland include an integrated refinery and petrochemicals centre of excellence at Grangemouth, It is the group's largest manufacturing site by volume. Other UK operations include the Forties Pipeline System.