With the apparent withdrawal of the Qatari consortium linked to an acquisition of Manchester United, there is a greater chance that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will acquire stock in the Premier League powerhouse.

Following the withdrawal of Qatari investor Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani from the bidding process, Ineos CEO Ratcliffe will pay £1.3 billion for a 25% stake in the team, according to Sky News.

Sheikh Jassim’s bid, which was thought to be the sole one for a 100% stake in the club, valued United at over £5 billion. Sheikh Jassim left the process, though, when it became clear that the Qatari’s offer was insufficient for the Glazers, who have owned United since 2005.

This week’s United board meeting will need to approve Ratcliffe’s 25% proposal, according to Sky News. According to the article, Ratcliffe and Ineos are anticipated to oversee the football operations of the club as part of the agreement, which may be the initial stage of a phased acquisition.

In contrast, Manchester United veteran Gary Neville stated that the Qatari pullout “leaves Manchester United on the brink of a minority investment”.

“Can this really work, and what effect will it have on an organization that is struggling?” he continued.

“A complete departure from the Glazer family is and will always be my preference. They are unaware that they have overstayed their welcome in Manchester.”

The Glazer family announced that they began a process to “explore strategic alternatives for the club” in November of last year, at which point they began to consider selling the team.

For £790 million, the Americans acquired the team in May 2005.