BREAKING: Jim Ratcliffe joins race to buy Manchester United

Billionaire businessman to bid for club as Glazers prepare to sell

Ratcliffe becomes second bidder for United after Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani

Sky News has learned that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will join the race to buy Manchester United, becoming the second bidder to express an interest in taking over the Premier League club.

Ratcliffe, one of Britain's richest men, is the founder and chairman of chemicals company INEOS. He is also the owner of French football club Nice and Swiss club Lausanne-Sport.

The news of Ratcliffe's interest in United comes as the Glazer family, which has owned the club since 2005, prepares to sell. The Glazers announced in November that they were exploring a sale of the club, having faced increasing pressure from fans over their ownership.

Ratcliffe's bid is likely to be met with some resistance from United fans, who have been critical of the Glazers' ownership. However, Ratcliffe is a lifelong United fan and has said that he would invest heavily in the club if he were to take over.

The other confirmed bidder for United is Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family. Al Thani has said that he wants to buy United "out of love" and that he would "do everything I can to help the club reach its full potential."

The sale of United is likely to be one of the most high-profile in sporting history. The club is one of the most famous and successful in the world, and it has a global fan base of millions.