Rory McIlroy has revealed he is open to investing in Manchester United in the future. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to buy 25 per cent of the Red Devils but he could be joined at Old Trafford by the four-time major-winning golfer.
Ratcliffe has seemingly beaten Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim to invest in United. Sheikh Jassim wanted to buy the club outright from the Glazer family but pulled out of the running last weekend.
It quickly emerged that Ratcliffe had agreed to buy a quarter of United worth around £1.3billion. The INEOS founder initially proposed to buy 69 per cent earlier this year but he has seen that reduce.
Ratcliffe will have a large say on footballing matters if he is voted in by the United board. McIlroy is excited by his arrival but is also keen to play a part himself at some point in the future.
Read more… Ole Gunnar Solskjaer problem has ‘returned’ at Man Utd as Sancho earns new ally
The 34-year-old recently invested in Formula One team Alpine. Ahead of the sprint race at the US Grand Prix on Saturday, McIlroy claimed it would be nice to do the same with his beloved United.
He told Sky Sports: “Sports team ownership used to be limited to private equity, and people who had a ton of money. But now sports stars are becoming more savvy and using their money in the right way.
“I would love to be able to own a tiny percentage of the club I grew up cheering on as a boy. I would have loved to have taken 0.00001 per cent of Manchester United when Jim Ratcliffe took 25 per cent.
“And if another opportunity comes my way I will look at it. But it is not something that has come across our table as of yet.”
- Advert-free experience without interruptions.
- Rocket-fast speedy loading pages.
- Exclusive & Unlimited access to all our content.
Don’t miss…
Liverpool reach ‘Victor Osimhen agreement’ as Jurgen Klopp eyes Chelsea revenge[REPORT]
England World Cup winning football legend Sir Bobby Charlton dies aged 86[NEWS]
Declan Rice delivers brutal verdict on Arsenal team-mates despite Chelsea draw[INTERVIEW]
McIlroy would not be the first famous sportsperson outside of football to invest in the sport. However, he says he turned down the chance to buy a small part of United’s old rivals Leeds.
He added: “There is Tom Brady at Birmingham and there are a few golfers – Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas – who invested with the 49ers Group, and they own a tiny slice of Leeds. They asked me if I wanted to come on board, and I said as a Man United fan I cannot go anywhere near that!
“Sir Jim has got a great track record and everybody that does support United should be excited by the possibilities if they give him full sporting authority and decisions for the club. As a fan I am excited.”
Source: Read Full Article
