Premier League 2024 news: Jim Ratcliffe takes over Manchester United … but what will change?

The reign of the hugely unpopular Glazer family at Manchester United is finally over – but how much will really change at Old Trafford?

On Tuesday it was announced that British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe had finally completed a part-takeover of the iconic club after a 15-month process, buying an initial 27.7 per cent in a deal worth just under $2bn AUD.

That’ll rise to 28.9 per cent by the end of the year, with Ratcliffe investing another $100m by December 31.

$300m USD of the cash has been dedicated to go towards stadium upgrades.

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While it isn’t the full takeover many fans wanted – and the Glazers themselves explored from November 2022 before pulling a major U-turn – Ratcliffe will be given control of the football department.

In many ways, it is a perfect outcome for the Glazers, who have never been particularly interested, or skilled, at handling the football side of the business.

Indeed, the historic club has largely been treated as merely a business plaything for the Glazers since they bought Manchester United for £790m in 2005 and immediately saddled the club with huge debts as part of the leveraged buyout. Indeed, since then, the club has spent over a billion pounds servicing those loans, and Manchester United – as of June 30 last year – has a total gross debt of £773m.

While they remain majority owners of the club, the American Glazer family will hand complete control of the football side of things to Ratcliffe. That includes the academy and both the men’s and women’s teams.

After a decade of failure following the departure of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, it could be the start of United’s long hoped-for revival.

Already, Ratcliffe has declared he wants to knock