Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has successfully settled a legal dispute with Tottenham Hotspur. The settlement comes after his company, Ineos, reached an out-of-court agreement with the club.
Tottenham are set to receive over £11m ($14.7m) as part of the settlement, marking an end to a dispute that began when Ineos sought to withdraw prematurely from a five-year sponsorship deal signed in 2022. This partnership featured branding for the Ineos Grenadier vehicle displayed throughout Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on matchdays, including pitchside LED screens.
Rumours first emerged in December 2024 that Ineos had agreed to exit the deal ahead of schedule and would pay a multi-million-pound settlement. Both parties have declined to comment on these reports.
Background of the dispute
The conflict arose when Tottenham claimed that Ineos failed to meet its payment obligations in March 2025. As a result, they sought more than £11m in damages which included at least £5.2m as compensation for being compelled to end their partnership early.
The disagreement centred around two missed payments:
- An instalment of more than £5m due in December 2023
- A separate inflation-adjusted sum of nearly £500,000 expected in August 2024
Under their original contract terms, annual payments started at £2.1m and were set to rise up to £4.6m by the fifth year excluding VAT and inflation adjustments. In addition, Tottenham also sought accrued interest and additional costs related to what they alleged was a breach by Inoes.
Counter claims by INEOS
In response, INEOS denied any wrongdoing and argued it had exercised its contractual right properly when it ended the agreement prematurely in December 2024. INEOS also sought £1m in damages, accusing Tottenham of breaching the exclusivity terms of their deal. The company claimed that Tottenham held talks with rival car manufacturer Audi during the transfer of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, which they believe undermined their agreement.
Tottenham later admitted to discussions with Audi but insisted these talks did not constitute a breach as no formal deal was made. This is not the first time Ineos has faced sponsorship turbulence. In April 2025, the company reached a settlement with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) after announcing it would end its six-year sponsorship of the All Blacks just three years into the deal.
The partnership had included Ineos branding on the team’s shorts and training kits. However, NZR accused them of missing a NZ$10m ($5.82m) payment for 2025 and risking further loss in revenue for NZR amounting to NZ$21m for the remainder of that year. Ineos eventually paid off this outstanding amount along with an additional sum to settle this matter. Despite these challenges, INEOS continues its involvement in sports sponsorships while navigating through legal disputes and settlements.
