Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company Ineos confirms bid for Manchester United

INEOS confirmed on Saturday that Sir Jim Ratcliffe submitted a bid to buy

before the deadline on Friday.

Reports suggest that up to five parties are trying to buy the majority ownership of Manchester United. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, chairman of one of Qatar's biggest banks, also confirmed on Friday that he has submitted a bid to buy Manchester United. It has also been reported that the Glazer family has received two offers from the United States.

"We can confirm that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have submitted a bid for majority ownership of Manchester United Football Club,"

a statement read.

"We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community.

"We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again.

"We also recognise that football governance in this country is at a crossroads. We would want to help lead this next chapter, deepening the culture of English football by making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.

"We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League.”

The INEOS group owns French Ligue 1 club Nice and Swiss Super League club Lausanne. INEOS also has a five-year partnership with Formula 1 team Mercedes. Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to buy Chelsea last year, but his offer was not accepted.

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