Manchester United might not play Champions League football next season even if they finish in the Top 4. This could be the case if Sir Jim Ratcliffe achieves his dream of taking over the club.
The issue is totally Ratcliffe’s own; he is the owner of a French team named OGC Nice. Hence, the new revelations may be a big blow to the British billionaire’s hopes of taking over the club.
Under the UEFA Rules, if Manchester United and the French club OGC Nice finish in a Champions League spot in their respective leagues, only the side that finished higher will be allowed to qualify.
If OGC Nice finish in the third place of the French Ligue 1 and Manchester United finish in the fourth place of the Premier League, OGC Nice will go to the Champions League ahead of Manchester United if they are owned by the same person.
Note that OGC Nice is currently in seventh place and is 13 points behind third-place Lens. Meanwhile, Manchester United are the favorites to finish in third place in the Premier League with 12 matches remaining.
This angle has left Ratcliffe in a tricky situation. There are rumors that the British billionaire may decide to sell OGC Nice and concentrate on becoming the new owner of one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
The issue of Manchester United’s potential new ownership remains undecided, as the Glazers seems to still be holding on to the club.
However, Ratcliffe is confident of winning the bidding war. It was reported that the CEO of INEOS has told his friends that he will be the next owner of Manchester United.
The owner of the chemical company submitted its second bid to Raine Group last week and awaits word from the merchant bank going forward.
Another billionaire that is interested in buying Manchester United is Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who was the former Prime Minister of Qatar.
The Manchester United fans want assurance that Sheikh Hamad has no tie to the ownership of Paris Saint-Germain. Sheik Hamad had submitted the second bid to Manchester United, and it is closer to the asking price of the Glazers.
The former prime minister of Qatar wants to do everything possible to become the new owner.
Both billionaires (Ratcliffe and Sheikh Hamad) are not giving up on taking over Manchester United from the Americans (the Glazers family).
Investing in the squad, renovating the stadium, and building more infrastructure are the sole reasons why both parties want to buy the club. They don’t want to take money out of the club like the Glazers do according to the investors.
What do you think about the new development? Will Sir Jim Ratcliffe still go ahead and buy the club? Please air your opinion in the comment section.
