Newcastle United Champions League rivals set to make £1.3bn takeover decision as Man Utd eye ex-Liverpool man

This comes after a drawn-out takeover process that has spanned the entirety of 2023 so far. But following the withdrawal of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s proposal to complete a full takeover of Man United, Ratcliffe stood unopposed to complete a minority takeover of the club.

Britain’s richest man has a net worth in the region of £30billion and would be the second richest co-owner of a Premier League club after Newcastle United’s Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Ratcliffe’s potential stake in the club is subject to a vote by the Man United board on Thursday.

The deal is set to be worth around £1.3billion and see Ratcliffe’s group take control of Man United’s ‘football operations’.

With that, Ratcliffe’s arrival could spell significant changes behind the scenes at Old Trafford with the 70-year-old looking to install his own staff at the club. The positions of director of football John Murtough and deputy Andy Boyle are reportedly under threat.

According to iNews, Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth is a man admired by Ratcliffe but any approach for the former Brighton & Hove Albion man will be met with ‘fierce resistence’ and a significant compensation fee.

Former British Cycling performance director Sir Dave Brailsford has been linked with a role at Man United by The Times along with ex-Paris Saint-Germain chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc, who has since been employed by Ineos.

Former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards and Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell have also had their names touted.