Sir Jim Ratcliffe being ‘chased’ to take over Man Utd as Glazers come under fire

Man Utd fans set off flares as they protest against the Glazers

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Michael Knighton has confirmed he’s ‘chasing’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe as he looks to oust the Glazers from Manchester United. The businessman, who came close to purchasing the club in 1989, has put a consortium together in the hope of convincing the Americans into selling up. Calls for Joel and Avram Glazer to leave the club are growing again, particularly in the wake of Saturday’s horrendous 4-0 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Knighton recently revealed he was looking to buy United.

And now, talking to The United Stand, the businessman has opened up on his plans and admitted he was ‘chasing’ Ratcliffe in the hope the 69-year-old could assist his consortium’s scheme.

“The reason I’ve been chasing the likes of Jim Ratcliffe is because he does have the resources, he is a Manchester lad originally, he claims to be a Man United fan, and I believe he is,” he said.

“If I can smoke Jim Ratcliffe out and bring him to Old Trafford, my job is done.

“I want the likes of Jim Ratcliffe to join the consortium. There are people that are a lot wealthier than myself. I certainly don’t have the funds to buy Manchester United.

“We need to be taken seriously as a whole fan group because, really, this is a fan bid and I’ve been working my backside off, putting people together to make a hostile bid and say, ‘look, here’s the money’, which of course they are going to refuse.

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“But if we can say we have got worldwide fanbase support, we’ve got a chance.”

When asked if the bid can be successful without Ratcliffe, Knighton added: “We can certainly launch a bid, but even my consortium as a collective does not have the resources of Jim Ratcliffe.

“There’s no question about that. Jim is the wealthiest man in Britain, he’s a football fan, (and) he’s a nice man.

“When he bid for Chelsea, you can understand that, because he’s heavily involved in London (with) his amazing firm Ineos, which is a world leader in the chemical petrol industry.

“He went public and said, ‘I don’t need to take any money out of Chelsea, or any football club, because I make enough money from the chemical petrol business that I have.’

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“Now that was music to every fans’ ears, so clearly we would welcome Jim Ratcliffe.

“Of course, everyone needs Jim Ratcliffe because Jim is the real deal!

“He is the man who could restore our great football club to where it should be.

“I’m not in that league. I’m not even in the league of some of the people I have managed to get round the table.”

Knighton was keen to stress, too, that his plans of a hostile takeover wasn’t personal against the Glazers.

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“It’s not personal against the Glazers,” he said. “We just think there’s a different model and a better model.

“That’s all the Michael Knighton bid is about. It isn’t about Michael Knighton.

“I can show you emails from the last 20 years. I’ve turned down hundreds of television interviews (and) hundreds of radio interviews.

“It isn’t about Michael Knighton. It’s about rescuing the club from the current ownership. That’s what it’s about. That’s all it’s about, and I can’t do it without the world.

“We need every Manchester United fan worldwide to support this bid. You’re right. It’s a hostile bid. The club isn’t for sale.

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“The Glazers are probably going to decline and refuse but if we can turn up and say, ‘we’ve got 30 million Manchester United fans and key sponsors on our side. You’ve run out of road. The time is here and now, and you’ve got to go.’

“We’ve got a chance of enabling the current owners to say, ‘you know what, we’ve got our 2.5 or 3 billion of pure profit, and we’ll go.’ That’s what my intentions are.

“John Gubba…has seen the evidence of the people I’m dealing with. We are talking billions of pounds.

“It’s not my money. Yes, I’ve thrown a little bit in, but I’m just not on that level (of wealth).

“But I have managed to pool these people together. I have had the ability to make them pledge.”

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