Rory McIlroy open to Man Utd investment and welcomes Sir Jim Ratcliffe takeover

21 October 2023 , 23:56

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Rory McIlroy open to Man Utd investment and welcomes Sir Jim Ratcliffe takeover

Rory McIlroy admits he'd be open to investing in Manchester United if the opportunity arose.

The four-time major winner has been a fan of the Red Devils since he was a child and recently showcased his desire to invest in sporting outfits after being part of a £173million strategic investment led by consortium Otro Capital in Alpine, which also included the likes of Anthony Joshua.

McIlroy has earned $80m (£65.8m) during his career, according to the PGA website, and previously had the chance to invest in English football with Leeds, but opted against, citing his affiliation to United. The Northern Irishman is buoyed by the imminent impact of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is set to take a 25 percent stake in the club.

He said: "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. 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.

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"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.”

Rory McIlroy would be open to investing in Man Utd, the club he supports (Getty Images)

Ratcliffe is already involved in football with French side Nice and is looking to take charge of the football operations at Old Trafford if, as expected, his minority takeover does get the green light. The Glazers will remain in power, which has angered the majority of fans.

There is talk of Ratcliffe eventually buying out the Americans, who want to maximise their profits if they are to leave Manchester having been in charge for almost two decades. Already Ratcliffe is looking to make an impact with transfer guru Paul Mitchell potentially coming in as sporting director.

Samuel Meade