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Sir Jim Ratcliffe agrees to buy a $1.3bn stake (25%) in Manchester United, ending uncertainty over the club's ownership. The deal values the club at about $6.3bn, including debt. Ratcliffe aims to restore United's position in English, European, and world football. The announcement follows concerns over equal treatment of minority shareholders in future transactions involving Ratcliffe and the Glazers. Ratcliffe may increase his shareholding over time, subject to Premier League approval. The deal involves acquiring 25% of super-voting B shares and 25% of A shares, each B share having 10 times the voting rights of a single A share. The Glazer family will sell 25% of B shares, generating over $900mn. Ratcliffe will inject $300mn of fresh capital into the club and take responsibility for football operations. The deal values United at $33 a share, with A shares closing at less than $20 each. Previous bidder, Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, withdrew from the bidding in October. Manchester United #ManchesterUnited #JimRatcliffe #Football #SportsBusiness #PremierLeague #OwnershipDeal

Manchester United Plc (NYSE:MANU) holds the ability to force Jim Ratcliffe to divest his ownership stake in the club within the first 18 months of finalising the deal, new filings revealed. The conditions required to trigger this provision were not specified. Additionally, for three years following closure of the Ratcliffe deal, any potential sale of the club initiated by the Glazer family, its American owners, must secure a minimum of US$33 per share for Ratcliffe. The above conditions were revealed after it was confirmed Ratcliffe's Ineos would be acquiring a 25% stake at $33 per Man Utd share, valuing the 20-time English champions at around US$6.3 billion, including debt. #NYSE #MANU More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors http://ow.ly/fGTV1056YnZ

🔴⚽ "𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞: 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞'𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝!" 🔄🌐 In a groundbreaking move, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, owner of INEOS, acquires a vital 25% stake in Manchester United. Ratcliffe's $300 million investment promises a significant upgrade to Old Trafford. 🏟️💰 The legacy of the current owners, "The Glazers," marred by financial hardship and fan discontent, takes a transformative turn with Ratcliffe's arrival. Hated by many fans, the Glazers' profit-centric approach has left a legacy of accumulating debt, raising questions about their commitment to the club's well-being. 💸👎 On the vast football landscape, Gulf nations have made significant forays into ownership, managing clubs like Manchester City, Newcastle, Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa, and more, all sharing with "The Glazers" a common pursuit of success and financial gain. However, the critical distinction lies in their underlying motivations. Gulf nations not only seek success but also leverage soccer for social benefits and reputation enhancement. This strategic approach is evident in their commitment to creating high-performing teams that resonate with fans, emphasizing a fan-centric model. On the contrary, the Glazers' ownership of Manchester United appears driven primarily by revenue. ⚽🌍 Let's embrace this transformative chapter for Manchester United, anticipating that Ratcliffe's ownership rekindles the spirit that defines the club beyond a mere business— this is a community of proud Devils! 😈🔴 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒:  https://lnkd.in/gcDFYc73. #ManchesterUnited #JimRatcliffe #FootballRevolution #OldTraffordUpgrade 🔴⚽

The transaction was finally announced on Christmas Eve, after more than a year of confusion, posturing and indecision on the part of the Glazer family.  Sir Ratcliffe (INEOS) will pay £1.25billion to acquire 25 per cent of Class A shares and 25 per cent of Class B shares, and will be responsible for all sporting operations/decisions whilst the commercial part will remain with the Glazers. The Class B shares, all of which have been owned by the Glazers, have voting rights that are ten times that of that of the Class A shares. Sir Ratcliffe has also committed an additional £237m to fund the improvement of Old Trafford which is far from being a world class stadium for a team of MUFC’s stature. This amount appears to be wholly insufficient and the club will probably require significantly more to get OT up to standard. Contrast this offer with Sheik Jassim’s bid which was  around £5bn for 100% of the club and a development fund of up to £1.7bn (the number the Sheik and his team estimated would make OT a state of the art stadium, including the training facilities etc). These details raise more questions and answers: ·   What is Sir Ratcliffe’s end game? If he wants to take control of the club at some point, the behaviour of the Glazers over the past year should surely be a red flag going forward. Getting them out of the club is to be a long and arduous task; ·   Apart from the emotional attachment of being a lifelong supporter of MUFC, does it make sense to invest in an asset that will be underfunded from the get go? What’s the business motivation here? The £237m will be a band-aid in the greater scheme of things, if Sheik Jassim’s assessment was anywhere close to being accurate. Who/how/when will the shortfall be funded? Just a thought here – true supporters would have wanted the maximum investment for the club. It appears that Sir Ratcliffe’s offer gave the Glazers an alternative to the Sheik’s 100% offer when majority sentiment was to get the Glazers out; ·   Can you truly separate the sporting and commercial aspects in an entity who main business is sport? There will surely be a constant overlap and this will get very messy; The two large shareholders have obvious disparate motives : the controlling Glazers have always been focussed on maximising cash extraction with sporting success barely featuring whilst the Sir Ratcliffe wants MUFC to be restored to its former glory.   Thoughts?

Manchester United's American owners, the Glazer family, are set to finalise a $33 per share deal with Jim Ratcliffe that will see the British billionaire acquire a 25% stake in the English soccer club. The deal will bring to an end a year-long sale process. The Glazer family announced last November that they were exploring "strategic alternatives" for the club, including a possible sale and were open to fresh investment. Ratcliffe's offer represents a premium of 79.1% to the stock's Thursday closing price of $18.43, valuing the Old Trafford club at about $5.4bn excluding debt. While the deal will not see the back of the Glazers, who are deeply unpopular with the fans of the 20-times English soccer champions, it will result in major changes to the way the club is run. The deal values Manchester United above Premier League soccer rival Chelsea, which was sold by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich last May for $5.2bn - including debt and investments - to an investment group led by US billionaire Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group. #MergersAcquisitionsDivestitures #PrivateEquity #Football #Sports

New Post: Ineos billionaire Jim Ratcliffe buys 25% stake in Manchester United at $5.4 billion valuation - Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has completed the purchase of a stake in Manchester United, defeating rival bids from petro-states and hedge funds and ending a bidding war marked by hype and rancor. Through his chemical conglomerate Ineos Group, Ratcliffe will pay $33 a share for a 25% stake in the club, valuing the club at about $5.4 billion, falling below initial hopes of $6 billion. The decision to bring in Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s richest people, marks the end of a drawn-out sale process officially begun by the Glazer family just over a year ago. At times, the deal drew hype and speculation closer to the Premier League’s deadline day or the NFL draft than a billion-dollar deal in a public company.  Bloomberg first reported that the Glazers would consider selling a minority stake in the team, and that Ratcliffe had emerged as the front-runner. According to a statement on Sunday: Ratcliffe will acquire 25% of the Class B shares owned by the Glazer family and begin a tender offer for 25% of the listed Class A shares Ratcliffe will invest $300 million into club New investors will get two board seats. For much of the past year, Ratcliffe battled a rival offer from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the third son of Qatar’s former prime minister, for outright control of the club. But neither bidder could match co-chairs Joel and Avram Glazer desire to cement Manchester United as the world’s most expensive sporting asset. The Qatari group had made it clear they would not overpay for the club. Before the bidding war began, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar’s former prime minister and Sheikh Jassim’s father, told Bloomberg that he wasn’t a fan of football investments in the Premier League. In October, the Qatari camp withdrew its offer, claimed to be around the £5 billion mark, but which likely included debt and host of funding extras such as redevelopment of the training ground. The Qatari’s relationship with Raine Group — the investment bank in charge of the sale — had deteriorated, according to people familiar with the matter.  It remains to be seen how Ratcliffe, a self-made billionaire, will manage the club alongside Joel and Avram Glazer, who inherited the team from their father Malcolm, who made a fortune from a range of investments including real estate and broadcasting. The victory also cements Ratcliffe’s plans to build out a personal sporting empire after failing in a late attempt to buy Chelsea FC last year. Via his chemical giant Ineos, Ratcliffe also owns France’s Ligue 1 OGC Nice, the cycling group formerly known as Team Sky, and a stake in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team. The decision from the Glazers to keep hold of the club will almost certainly anger fans, who have protested for years to oust the unpopular owners.  Malcolm

Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford shows his ability to spot and seize opportunities both on and off the pitch. ⚽📈 Rashford currently earns £200,000 a week but is negotiating a new contract with the club that could potentially be worth over £300,000 a week. While that's enough for most people, the 24-year-old has taken his earnings to another level with a series of shrewd investments. In the financial year from May 2021 to April 2022, he made an additional £17.7 million through several companies, which works out at around £48,000 a day or £336,000 a week. An extremely savvy investor, Rashford's businesses span several sectors. His first company is called MUCS Enterprises, which he founded in April 2015, 10 months before his Man United debut. The company currently has assets of £20.1 million. He also invests in property through two companies called MUCS Properties and MUCS Developments. Showing great generosity, Marcus is reported to be renting one of his properties to former Man United defender Wes Brown at reduced rates. In a further demonstration of his business acumen, Rashford also owns an investment company called MUCS Investments, which, according to The Sun, is worth £292,227 - over a quarter of a billion pounds. And now, following a spate of burglaries targeting elite footballers and their homes, Rashford has moved into the security sector with a company called MUCS Security. It's admirable that Rashford can combine his business activities with football. #MarcusRashford #PremierLeague #SportBusiness #SportEconomy

The pieces don't fit. In recent weeks, UK media has been buzzing with reports about significant changes slated for Manchester United, contingent upon Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquiring a 25 per cent stake from the Glazer family. Initial reports suggest that the Ineos magnate, in return for his stake, would oversee the club's sporting operations. Considering Ratcliffe and his Ineos team's successful stint with French club Nice, granting them the sporting reins does have its logic. Yet, several aspects of this anticipated restructuring raise eyebrows🤔: 🔴Giving a minority owner control over a football club's main operations is perilous, especially if results don't meet expectations. This could spark a power struggle between the Glazers and Ratcliffe. ⚪️Empowering Ratcliffe in one department effectively bifurcates the club, hindering a cohesive organizational culture. 🔴While European club leaders work to unify with their sporting departments, why would Manchester United diverge? ⚪️Beyond fostering a potentially harmful atmosphere, daily conflicts of interest are likely.   Additionally, the media's claims about dismissing CEO Richard Arnold, should Ratcliffe acquire a 25 per cent stake, seem questionable given Manchester United's commercial team's strong performance. Full analysis below👇🏻 (-easy to sign up for a free 7 day trial) https://lnkd.in/egB2cmws #SportsBusiness #C#Ownership #Commercial #Sponsorship #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #People #Data #Tech #Intelligence #Investment #Partnership

Breaking news in the football world! Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a lifelong Manchester United fan, has completed the purchase of a significant stake, taking control of football operations from the Glazers. The deal, valued at $1.65 billion, includes a $200 million initial investment for Old Trafford's infrastructure. Exciting times ahead as Sir Jim looks to reshape the club's future. Stay tuned for updates on this game-changing move! #ManchesterUnited #SirJimRatcliffe #FootballTakeover #GameChanger #GlazersOut #FootballNews #NewsUpdate #OldTraffordRevamp #SportsBusiness #MUFC #NewEra #TheSocialTalks

Rumours that Chelsea may be seeing investors in its WSL team, apparently valued at $200m. For a 12 team league that would put its total value at well north of $1 billion assuming Chelsea is one of the most valuable teams. If the team is of interest to investors, its because they perceive rapid value growth. Indeed the WSL is looking to double its media rights fee, though has postponed this process by extending the BBC and Sky on the same terms for another year while it sets up NewCo. However, if the desired money had been on the table they would have taken it. Given the 11 out of 12 clubs are owned by EPL clubs with deep pockets (possibly 12 next season), the investment (losses) in the WSL are small beer. If there truly is growth potential why would you want to sell? I can see two possibilities, though there maybe more. Firstly, Chelsea see growth at less than the outside worth. Costs have certainly grown substantially - perhaps its more a question of whether income can keep up, and the next rights deal will give a pretty clear signal. The other possibility is this is another FFP wheeze from the creative bean counters at Chelsea. Much like selling their hotels, Chelsea may look to set any income raised against their men's football costs. Given investment in women's football is exempt from FFP, I would hope the sale of these assets is out of scope. But then you would have thought that was the same for hotels. Views appreciated. https://lnkd.in/eEizDX4U