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Glazers could retain United stake

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is proposing a deal for Manchester United that would enable Avram and Joel Glazer to remain stakeholders at Old Trafford.

While the offer may alarm a large section of United’s supporters, it could prove a highly significant move in the battle to buy the Premier League club.

The deadline for the third and final bids is 10pm on Friday. The bids will range from an offer of a 100 per cent takeover, from Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, to bids from American investment firms for minority stakes.

The Times understands that the Ratcliffe proposal involves buying a controlling stake of just over 50 per cent for his petrochemicals firm Ineos, with about 20 per cent remaining in the possession of Avram and Joel, two of the six Glazer siblings. The other 30 per cent will stay with various investment groups. Ineos only wants to invest in United if it takes a controlling stake. 

It will offer the Glazers the chance to sell entirely or keep the 20 per cent stake.  The Glazers, who own the club and value it at about £6 billion, have been divided on whether to sell. Avram and Joel are known to be the two siblings most reluctant to walk away despite the club’s disgruntled supporters, who oppose their heavily-leveraged 2005 buyout.

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