Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described his relationship with the Glazer family as 'professional', as reports emerge that some family members are considering selling their stakes in Manchester United. Financial outlet Bloomberg claims that several Glazers have held internal discussions about offloading their shares, though others oppose a sale, potentially complicating any deal.
Ratcliffe, who purchased a 27.7 per cent stake in the club for £1.25 billion in February 2024, has previously praised the Glazers. In a 2025 interview with The Times, he said: 'To be fair to the Glazers, they're really good on the commercial side... They're really decent people... There isn't a bad bone in Joel Glazer's body.' He added that they are 'passionate about Manchester United'.
However, Ratcliffe was forced to apologise to the Glazers after sparking outrage by claiming immigrants had 'colonised' the UK. The comments raised concerns among the Glazers about potential damage to United's commercial partnerships and stadium plans. Ratcliffe later apologised, stating: 'I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people... My intention was to stress the importance of controlled immigration.'
Reports indicate that the Glazers would only consider bids exceeding £5 billion for their stake, factoring in the potential value boost from a new 100,000-seater stadium. Avram and Joel Glazer remain executive co-chairmen, with four other family members on the board.
