Man Utd bidder Ratcliffe at Old Trafford for talks
Jim Ratcliffe was at Old Trafford on Friday to attend a presentation held by senior Manchester United management staff as part of his potential takeover of the club. The British billionaire and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani have both made offers to buy the Premier League club to American merchant bankers Raine, which was brought in to assist in assessing any bids. The club's owners, the Glazer family, announced in November they were conducting a strategic review, with the sale of United one option being considered. Ratcliffe, the 70-year-old chairman of chemicals giant INEOS, was joined at Old Trafford by INEOS co-owners Andy Currie and John Reece. Former British Cycling chief David Brailsford, now director of sport at INEOS, was also part of the delegation. Sheikh Jassim's representatives were in Manchester on Thursday for a tour of Old Trafford before attending presentations at United's Carrington training complex. It is understood that Sheikh Jassim's team visited for 10 hours, far longer than expected, and remain committed to buying the club following the substantive talks. Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe, the owner of Ligue 1 club Nice, are the only interested parties to publicly announce publicly their bids to Raine. Elliott Investment Management has also reportedly made it through to the second stage of the process, although the firm is believed to be offering funding rather than a takeover. (AFP)