American billionaire Leon Cooperman has increased his stake in Manchester United to 5.2 per cent, purchasing an additional two million shares in the Premier League club. The 82-year-old founder of Omega Advisors now holds shares valued at more than $50m (£36.9m), having bought the stake from British investment firm Lindsell Train.
Cooperman, who first bought 900,000 shares in 2023, is not planning a full takeover of the club. His shares are Class A, which carry one voting right per share, while the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe hold the more powerful Class B shares with ten votes each.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe increased his own stake to 27.7 per cent in February 2024 after investing a further £300m into the club for infrastructure improvements. The INEOS owner has faced criticism for cost-cutting measures and redundancies at the club, as well as recent controversial comments about immigration.
Manchester United released a statement reaffirming its commitment to inclusivity following Ratcliffe's remarks, saying the club 'prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club'. The club also recently unveiled plans for a new stadium on the Old Trafford site and is renovating its Carrington training ground.
On the pitch, United currently sit fourth in the Premier League, with Michael Carrick having made an excellent impact since replacing Ruben Amorim as manager.
