Sir Jim Ratcliffe may have seemed yesterday to dash hopes of a Manchester United takeover, but his interview with the Financial Times could perhaps be a great indicator that a bid is likely.
It’s clear that the INEOS founder and chairman maintains a strong interest in buying United, having declared himself “a lifelong fan”.
He also expressed his commitment to acquiring a “Premier club” in football, with only a tentative nod to Nice’s history as he did so.
But a bigger indicator was his comments that “if it had been on sale in the summer, yeah, we probably would have tried it.”
He also confirmed that he had “met Joel and Avram.” Given that these are the two members of the Glazer family most involved with running the club, it’s hard to imagine talk of Ratcliffe’s interest not appearing on the agenda.
While Ratcliffe’s comments on the Glazers’ stance (“They don’t want to sell it”) apparently poured cold water on fans’ hopes that the family would be eliminated, it is a clear indicator of the questions Ratcliffe had been asking.
The British billionaire still wants to buy Manchester United, that remains obvious.
And while he insists he “can’t sit around waiting for Manchester United to be available one day”, fans shouldn’t be too discouraged.
An asset the size of United is unlikely to be officially up for sale until the point where offers begin to appear and there have been signs that the Glazer’s grip on the Red Devils is loosening in recent years.
The Peoples Person previously reported on the Glazer family’s attempt to sell a 30% stake in the club to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund for £700m, ahead of the outright purchase of Newcastle United.
While that involvement wouldn’t have allowed for potential investor interference, it does give an idea of what the Glazers value the club.
A full takeover may still be a long way off, but with divisions among the Glazer seemingly visible, there is potential for a ‘divide and rule strategy’.
Ratcliffe himself touched on how United is “owned by the father’s six sons”, directly on the back of the “They don’t want to sell it” comment.
However, The Athletic previously reported that while Joel Glazer certainly has no interest in giving up control of the club, Bryan, Kevin, Ed and Darcy Glazer are “less wedded” to the idea of owning a football club.
The suggestion that at least four of Glazer’s six sons might be willing to sell could offer a crucial advantage to Ratcliffe, who would surely be aware of any potential splits within the Tampa Bay family.
His interview may even widen those cracks given that he repeatedly stated his interest in making a formal offer, should the club ever become available. 
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