Manchester United takeover latest as Sheikh Jassim 'handed chance' to invest in Premier League rivals
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe could soon have his minority stake in Man United ratified while Sheikh Jassim could reportedly invest in West Ham.
Manchester United supporters continue to await confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment in the club.
Ratcliffe became the last man standing in the takeover race last month, following the withdrawal of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani from the process. The Ineos owner looks set to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club.
That means the Glazers will retain overall power but Ratcliffe is said to be taking charge of footballing operations.
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Jassim investment
Sheikh Jassim could be set to buy a 10 per cent stake in West Ham United, according to The Times.
The stake has been put up for sale by Vanessa Gold, daughter of the late joint-chairman David Gold. The family currently own 25 per cent of the Hammers but part of that looks set to be offloaded.
The opportunity to invest has attracted plenty of interest and club insiders believe Sheikh Jassim could be among potential suitors. He is thought to be open to investing in the Premier League club following his withdrawal from the bidding process at United.
Ratcliffe warning
Mikael Silvestre has suggested that patience will be required if Ineos secures a 25 per cent stake in the club.
Ineos already own French side OGC Nice. Under their stewardship, the Ligue 1 club has made gradual progress, currently finding themselves top of the Ligue 1 table.
"When you have clubs like Lyon, Bordeaux, Saint Etienne, who are monsters in the history of French football, [it is difficult]," said Silvestre, speaking to bettingexpert.com. "Bordeaux is down, Saint Etienne is down and Lyon are last in the table.
"So if you look at this perspective, they've done okay at Nice. But yes, they're still learning about this specific sport. They've got experience in other domains, and you can transfer that knowledge, but football is a different beast.
"Coming from France to Manchester United, everything is different. From the history of the club to the magnitude, the status and the expectations.
"There will be a learning process because if you're thrown at the deep end like this, it's extremely challenging."