Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be 'quite decisive' immediately upon Man Utd takeover

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·14 November 2023

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be 'quite decisive' immediately upon Man Utd takeover

Highlights

Prospective Manchester United investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to make significant changes to the hierarchy at Old Trafford in the near future.
The INEOS chairman's investment will prioritise improving the club's infrastructure, which is lagging behind the Red Devils' Premier League rivals.
Journalist Ben Jacobs has provided GIVEMESPORT with an outlook on Man Utd's state of play ahead of the winter transfer window.

Manchester United’s prospective minority investor, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, could be “quite decisive” upon his takeover at Old Trafford, as journalist Ben Jacobs provides GIVEMESPORT with an update on the club’s potential movement in the winter transfer window.

Erik ten Hag hopes the board will back him heading into the new year. His Red Devils side have endured a slow start to the campaign in the Premier League and Champions League.

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Man Utd are sixth in the top flight heading into the international break, but an early exit from Europe’s premier club competition is likely following just one win in four games. Ratcliffe’s minority investment in the Manchester giants is expected to be confirmed imminently.

According to Sky Sports News, Ratcliffe will pay £1.3bn for a 25% stake in Manchester United, having beaten Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani to buy the club.

Jassim’s offer of more than £5bn was for 100% control of the club. The current owners, the Glazers, rejected it, valuing Man Utd at over £6bn. Ratcliffe and his company, INEOS, will run Manchester United's football operations, making the Englishman a decisive factor in the team’s on-pitch success over the coming years.

Meanwhile, Sky News reports that Ratcliffe will commit £245m of his money to improve the Red Devils’ ageing infrastructure. Old Trafford and Manchester United’s Carrington training complex are falling behind the standards set by rivals Manchester City and Liverpool. Ratcliffe’s investment will be staggered, with most of it being handed to the club by the end of the year. The money is said to be financed by Ratcliffe personally and wouldn’t add to Manchester United’s existing borrowings.

Jacobs also told GIVEMESPORT that Ratcliffe will be calm regarding the future of head coach ten Hag and is unlikely to force the club to sack the Dutchman immediately.

Ben Jacobs update – Man Utd investment

Jacobs believes that Ratcliffe will first implement changes at Manchester United “from the hierarchy down” instead of the football side. The journalist also hints that January could be a tough window for the Red Devils, who must resolve the future of names such as Jadon Sancho. Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT:

“As soon as they get that board approval, all parties will want to move as quickly as possible. That will include Ratcliffe looking to assess the club quickly, a bit like Boehly did. They did a 100-day review, and Ratcliffe is looking for something similar. There will be more instant appointments because Ratcliffe has had meetings in Manchester to assess the business and the hierarchy. He's had the due diligence and seen from afar how the team are performing on the field. “So, I think you'll see Ratcliffe be quite decisive. You'll see some executive changes before we necessarily see some on-field football changes because January is a tough window. Certain names like Sancho need resolving, and certain things need to be taken care of on the football field, especially with ten Hag not getting the expected results. But you'll see changes from Ratcliffe from the hierarchy down rather than the football side first. I think that Ratcliffe realises that many of Manchester United's issues are foundational.”

Ratcliffe’s first point of call at Man Utd

According to The Times (via the Express), football director Richard Murtough and CEO Richard Arnold are concerned about their future at Man Utd once Ratcliffe’s minority investment is confirmed. The duo could be in the firing line when Ratcliffe takes control of football operations in the coming weeks.

On the other hand, the same report claims that the 70-year-old’s arrival isn’t expected to put pressure on ten Hag, who has struggled to push on following last season’s third-placed Premier League finish and Carabao Cup triumph.

Man Utd’s upcoming fixtures

Having earned a pressure-relieving 1-0 victory over Luton Town in their final Premier League fixture before the international break, ten Hag has under two weeks to prepare his side for a trip to in-form Everton on 26th November.

The Red Devils then travel to Galatasaray on 29th November for a must-win Champions League group stage clash. They hope to salvage a spot in the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition. Man Utd begin December with a tricky-looking clash at Newcastle United. The latter disposed of ten Hag’s side 3-0 in the Carabao Cup despite playing a team mainly consisting of reserves last month