Manchester United

Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'to invest £245m in Manchester United infrastructure'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 03 November 2023

Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'to invest £245m in Man United infrastructure'

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will allegedly commit £245m to improving Manchester United's infrastructure as part of a deal which will see him purchase 25% of the club.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reportedly commit £245m to improving Manchester United's infrastructure as part of a deal which will see him purchase 25% of the English giants.

The British billionaire has beaten off competition from main rival Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who recently withdrew his offer for the club due to the complex nature of the negotiations with the Glazers.

Ratcliffe will allegedly pay around £1.4bn to buy 25% of the club, with his takeover expected to be announced before the end of 2023.

According to Sky News, the 71-year-old will commit an additional £245m from his own fortune to improve Man United's infrastructure, with their stadium and training ground no longer the best in class.

The report claims that the additional investment will be staggered, but the majority will arrive before the end of the year, and it will be financed by the owner and founder of the INEOS Group.

Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe is pictured at Old Trafford in Manchester, Britain, March 17, 2023 © Reuters

Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are among the rival Premier League clubs to have moved past Man United when it comes to modern stadiums.

Meanwhile, there has been ongoing criticism of the club's Carrington training complex, which is also in need of significant investment to bring it up to the level of rival training bases.

Ratcliffe is expected to take control of all sporting decisions at the club moving forward, which has put the positions of CEO Richard Arnold and director of football John Murtough in doubt.

There has also been speculation surrounding Erik ten Hag's future as head coach following the back-to-back home 3-0 losses to Manchester City and Newcastle United in the league and EFL Cup respectively.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag on November 1, 2023 © Reuters

Ten Hag is not believed to be in any immediate danger of losing his job, but the club would certainly consider his position if the team's disappointing results continue in the coming weeks.

Ex-Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is again being linked with the role, in addition to Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and highly-rated Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim.

Man United will head to Fulham on Saturday afternoon looking to respond to the successive home losses, before heading to Denmark next week to face Copenhagen in the Champions League.

A recent report claimed that Ratcliffe wants the Red Devils to be active during the January transfer window, although it is unclear whether he will be able to have any significant influence at that early stage of his 25% purchase.

Ratcliffe is said to be determined to complete a full takeover of the Premier League giants in the coming years and views the current deal as the best way to get his foot in the door.