Manchester United minority owner Jim Ratcliffe could be ousted from his role at the club due to a hidden clause.Ratcliffe completed a deal to buy 27.7 per cent of the Red Devils in February 2024 after investing £1.25billion. The billionaire businessman and INEOS have been working with the Glazers, who still have majority control, ever since.However, his tenure in charge of Man United has not gone smoothly amid woeful results on the pitch and controversy off it. Ratcliffe has introduced many pay cuts and made staff redundant over the last year, leaving some criticising his role.It appears that he won’t be going anywhere though, as he plans for a £2billion stadium expansion after improving their training facilities and continuing to back manager Ruben Amorim.That is at least, until the Glazers potentially decide to trigger a clause that would force him out of the club…“There is a clause that came into play in August, which allows the majority owner at Manchester United, the Glazers, if they get a bidder that only wants 100 per cent of the club to drag out the minority investor, Jim Ratcliffe,” Jacobs revealed to talkSPORT.“The Glazers can have their cake and eat it. They can let Jim Ratcliffe run the sporting department. They can sit back and watch the valuation of the club grow.“Then, if they find a buyer, they can speak to that prospective group. “If they like the price and 100 per cent of the club is desired by that prospective buyer, then if the Glazers say yes, Ratcliffe has no choice but to depart as well.“The club is sort of low-key on the market whilst this clause exists.”Ratcliffe could be removed from his role thanks to a hidden clauseGettyJacobs continued: “What’s fascinating about this clause is that after 18 months of Jim Ratcliffe controlling the sporting side, trying to build something, getting the new stadium plans off the ground…all of that could be undone if a group goes to the Glazers directly and says, we’ll give you a valuation.“Then Sir Jim Ratcliffe would have no choice: either be dragged out or potentially look at that valuation, match it, and then he would have to buy 100 per cent of the club himself.“This is why many investors within football circles think Sir Jim Ratcliffe has got the shorter end of the deal.“Because, although he’s got his vanity project and although he’s managing the sporting side and no doubt enjoying that and building something from that, the Glazers have been able to sell a small percentage of the club to Jim Ratcliffe and still sit there.“That’s why I think we have to watch very carefully, whether it’s over the next months or whether it’s over the next years, to see how things develop.“Because as long as that clause is active, there is always a chance that the Glazers could be speaking to investors and potentially behind Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s back.”The Glazers could potentially work on a takeover deal behind Ratcliffe’s backGetty Images - GettyOffer from Saudi Arabia?Ratcliffe could well be concerned about that clause coming into effect, amid rumours of a takeover bid from the Middle East. Boxing promoter and Saudi tycoon Turki Alalshikh claimed on social media that Man United were close to being under new ownership.“My understanding is, despite the comments of Turki Alalshikh, who is very connected in sport and specifically across the Middle East, the Glazers haven’t had an approach,” Jacobs explained.“The Glazers are unaware of who may be preparing an offer. “But what is true is there are investors and groups out there that realise over the course, whether the next year or between now and when Manchester United’s new stadium gets off the ground, there will be a window of opportunity where they can return to the Glazers and say, you didn’t want to sell 100 percent when Sir Jim Ratcliffe came in. Are you now prepared to sell? “And that allows the Glazers to hold these conversations, maybe privately and maybe away from other club officials until something manifests or materialises.”Alalshikh posted on X about a new investor being in advanced talks over a dealGettyNothing advancedDelving further into the talk surrounding a potential takeover offer, Jacobs revealed where some interest is actually coming from.“Regarding specifically Turki Alalshikh’s first tweet, where he said something is advanced and a new investor is coming in, that’s not my understanding at the moment, specifically on the word advanced.“As Alalshikh has now clarified, it’s not Saudi. I’m getting denials from sources that it’s Qatar and that Sheikh Jassim may return.“But there is a group specifically from the UAE that are interested and are exploring whether or not they can put together a consortium and have actually approached some ex-Manchester United players not to invest, but to be ambassadors.“That’s where we’re at the moment. This group may be advanced in terms of internally putting itself together, but they haven’t placed a bid, nor have they even alerted the Glazers yet.“We’ll have to wait and see how it develops.”