How J. Ratcliffe could be forced to sell his Man Utd shares

2026-10-30 13:15 © scanpix

One of the owners of Man Utd, Jim Ratcliffe, could eventually be forced to sell his stake in the club, even if he himself did not want to.

At present, through the company INEOS, he and his business partners own 28.94 percent of the club’s shares, while the Glazer family retains the majority of the voting rights and control of the company.

Under an agreement reached in 2024, if the Glazer family decided to sell the entire club, it could invoke a special provision in the contract and require INEOS to sell its shares as well.

This option has been available since August 2025, but an important change will take effect on February 20, 2027.

Until that date, INEOS must receive at least 33 U.S. dollars for each share—the amount paid in the original transaction. Afterward, this minimum price guarantee will no longer apply, meaning the shares could be sold for less.

However, the Glazer family cannot simply remove Jim Ratcliffe because of the team’s poor results or disagreements over the club’s management. A forced sale of the shares would be possible only as part of a deal to sell the entire club.