Kieran Maguire: Ratcliffe is now plotting ‘alternative’ to Man United takeover
Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be ‘exploring’ the possibility of taking over Barcelona should his Man United bid fail.
That is the opinion of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who exclusively told Football Insider he believes that Ratcliffe is looking to build a ‘legacy’ by investing in the football industry.
Ratcliffe is still waiting to hear the final outcome of the United takeover saga, with the Glazer family still considering bids from the Briton and Qatar.
Ratcliffe’s interest in the Red Devils came just months after he saw a £4.25bn bid rejected for Chelsea, with the Blues eventually being purchased by Todd Boehly’s consortium.
As per The Times, Ratcliffe also attempted to buy a 50 per cent stake in Barcelona, but his investment offer was eventually rejected as it had become “too political”.
The La Liga giants are currently owned by 144,000 ‘socios’, who form an ownership model where members vote upon a president to lead the club.
Maguire believes Ratcliffe will still view Barcelona as an ideal ‘alternative’ to Man United in his bid to take over an elite European club.
“Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking for some sort of legacy in terms of investing in the football industry,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.
“The French football market really isn’t big enough to make a global splash and therefore he has to look for an elite club to make his mark.
“Barcelona would be an alternative to Man United if he loses the current takeover bid.
“However, I think it would be very difficult to get past the current Socios model, which is membership driven.
“Secondly, from the perspective of the Catalan fans who own Barcelona, they could have doubts about an overseas owner taking charge.
“While it is unlikely, it is no doubt something he is exploring and given the financial challenges that Barcelona face, you can never say never.“
In other news, Major update today on Dean Henderson’s Man United future