Ineos Chairman Prepares to Invest £237m in Club

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the 71-year-old British billionaire and chairman of Ineos, has completed his £1.3bn 25% takeover of Manchester United on Christmas Eve. Ratcliffe is now prepared to inject £237m into the club and will have two trusted lieutenants, Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc, closely monitoring the football operations at Carrington next month.

Stake to Grow Beyond 25%

Ratcliffe's stake in Manchester United is set to grow beyond the original 25% after the terms of the deal with the Glazer family were revealed. Journalist Ben Jacobs reports that Ratcliffe's final percentage, pending completion of the process, will be just over 29%. This includes the agreed Class B shares and ongoing Class A tender, as well as an additional 4% from Ratcliffe's $300m investment into the club.

Possible Job Cuts and On-Pitch Triumph

While Ratcliffe's takeover could potentially lead to job cuts at Manchester United, the team had a morale-boosting victory on the pitch. Under the management of Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils staged an incredible comeback from 2-0 down at half-time to defeat Aston Villa 3-2. The second half performance, including goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, brought much-needed joy to the club.