INEOS chief provides update on Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Manchester United takeover bid

INEOS' director of sport, Sir Dave Brailsford, says Sir Jim Ratcliffe is still "very keen" to complete a takeover of Manchester United with the process set to enter its eighth month.

The British billionaire and Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani are frontrunners in the race to buy the club although there are fears the Glazers may opt against a sale. Ratcliffe wishes to buy a majority stake in United while Sheikh Jassim is chasing a 100 per cent buy-out.

Brailsford - who also works at OGC Nice, bought by INEOS in 2019 - is the principal of Team Sky, which is currently taking part in the Tour de France.

There, he was approached for an update on INEOS’ bid for United. He underlined that the company and Ratcliffe are very much still hopeful that a takeover deal can be struck. Speaking to ITV Sport, he said: “Obviously we've been involved and it's something that we're very keen to do.

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“It's not something we can discuss in detail, we've got to sign up to NDAs [Non-Disclosure Agreements] and all the rest of it. But it's an ongoing process and we'd very much like to do it.

“To be custodians of one of the biggest sporting teams, brands, in the world and trying to really support the team and go back to the success they deserve. And also the fanbase.

“I've worked in Manchester for a long time, we saw the team become a global phenomenon, Team Sky have done the same. I know Manchester really well so you get a sense of what the club is all about and what the fans want. If we're part of the process, we hope to do