British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is seeking to acquire a stake in Manchester United in the English Professional Football Premier League (EPL). Ratcliffe hopes to secure control of the football division after winning a 25% stake in Manchester United.

According to the British media BBC on the morning of the 16th (Korea Standard Time), Ratcliffe announced his intention to acquire a 25% stake in Manchester United for about £1.3 billion (2.1379 trillion won) through Ineos, a global chemical company he owns. Manchester United plans to hold a board meeting on the 19th and review Ratcliffe's proposal.

Ratcliffe initially competed with Sheikh Jasim bin Hamad Al-Sani, chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), for the acquisition of Manchester United. Chairman Sheikh Jasim tried to acquire all 100% of Manchester United's stake for £5 billion (8.2192 trillion won), but was excluded from the takeover battle as the Glazer family, the owner of Manchester United, demanded more money.

Ratcliffe, known as a Manchester United fan, plans to secure the right to operate the football sector through the acquisition of a stake. Manchester United has long failed to meet fans' expectations, so it is interpreted as an intention to solve it and capture the hearts of fans. In addition, a method of appointing a football director is also being discussed to specialize in the player transfer policy that has been pointed out as a problem.

Ineos is currently investing heavily in the sports industry. Ineos owns France's Nice and Switzerland's Lausanne in professional football, and operates cycling and sailing teams. He is also a major shareholder in Formula One's (F1) Mercedes-AMG Petronas.

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