Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group assumes complete control over sporting affairs at Manchester United after an investment of over £1.03 billion
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Sir Jim Radcliffe takes over Manchester United: With an investment close to a billion, Sir Jim Ratcliffe makes history by making the most expensive minority investment in a sports club – as he only gets a quarter of the shareholding. Following the long and tedious negotiations with the Qatari parties, it seemed like Manchester United were finally in for a revolution but alas, those talks broke down when they were least expected to.
However, with the takeover of a hometown man, the Manchester United fans seem to be sanguine, as they always have – despite the reality being otherwise. Anyhow, let’s take a look at some details of the fresh new face in the office.
The Glazers Horror Show Coming to an End
Though the Ratcliffe revolution isn’t a downright takeover of the entire club, it is still good news for the United fans as football-related affairs are all effectively set to be run by Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group, be it hiring or firing managers, setting up scouting networks, arranging transfers and for all matters apropos to the pitch.
Despite just being a quarter of a stakeholder, Jim is optimistic about a complete takeover and only time will tell when the Glazers will call it a day. It seems there’s no love lost between the Glazers’ family and the fanbase who seem to be adamant on wanting nothing less than the Americans gone.
Sir Jim Radcliffe takes over Manchester United
The very first and expedient task that the new owner has taken upon himself is hiring a sporting director. Manchester United’s plc board responsible for setting transfer budgets will also be seeing new faces with INEOS chief financial officer John Reece and Sporting chairman Rob Nevin joining. Speaking of his plans, the Oldham native Jim Ratcliffe says:
“We are here for the long term and recognize that a lot of challenges and hard work lie ahead, which we will approach with rigor, professionalism, and passion. We are committed to working with everyone at the club – the board, staff, players, and fans – to help drive the club forward. Our shared ambition is clear: we all want to see Manchester United back where we belong, at the very top of English, European and world football.”
“Whilst the commercial success of the club has ensured there have always been available funds to win trophies at the highest level, this potential has not been fully unlocked in recent times. We will bring the global knowledge, expertise, and talent from the wider Ineos Sport group to help drive further improvement at the club, while also providing funds intended to enable future investment into Old Trafford.”
“As a local boy and a lifelong supporter of the club, I am very pleased that we have been able to agree a deal with the Manchester United Board that delegates us management responsibility of the football operations of the club.”
Erik Ten Hag’s Future
With Manchester United struggling to find a breather, the spotlight is finally turned to the Dutchman. Having exited Europe entirely thanks to their abysmal performances in the Champions League and with other problems slowly boiling over, Erik Ten Hag now has a new boss to respond to. However, with his arrival, it seems things look to change as the Dutchman seems to be receiving a considerable amount of backing.
With the appointment of a new sporting director as well as CEO, it seems that the Dutchman will be receiving some backing. Jean Claude-Blanc is said to be appointed as Manchester United’s CEO, an individual who’s enjoyed a great deal of success in the same role at Juventus as well as PSG. Could we see a similar story in Red colors? It seems to only be a matter of time before we find out.
A New Striker on the Way
As confirmed by Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils will be looking for a new striker in January. They have turned to the likes of Serhou Guirassy, Donyell Mallen, and Timo Werner, all of whom have been doing well for their respective clubs. However, Serhou Guirassy can be taken home with an absolute bargain as his release clause is valued at around €18 million.
The advent of a fresh new striker will provide Rasmus Højlund with the desired competition as the Dane has failed to make his mark at the Theater of Dreams. Rasmus will keep his hands on the starting XI spot but it’s clear that the short-term solution is securing the services of an efficient goalscorer to save United’s drowning ship.
