Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly told Manchester United staff that he doesn’t care about money and vowed to restore the club to their former glory.
The INEOS chief recently acquired a 25% stake in United which has empowered him to make key sporting decisions, including player transfers and the future of manager Erik ten Hag.
He paid a visit to Old Trafford and the Carrington training base on Tuesday along with INEOS director of sport, Sir Dave Brailsford, where he assessed the club’s infrastructure and interacted with staff.
According to The Athletic, Ratcliffe has assured staff that he would be prioritising on-field success over financial gains and remains determined to address the performance issues that have plagued the club for the past decade.
Ratcliffe’s honesty and straightforwardness about the club’s shortcomings was well received, a distinct departure from the previous rhetoric of the Glazers.
It is believed that Joel Glazer has not addressed the staff directly even once since taking over in 2005.
He emphasised a commitment to creating an elite environment to compete with other top European clubs and expressly stated that silverware would be the only yardstick for success.
Ratcliffe has assured the club that his $1.3 billion ($1.7bn) investment aims not only at on-field success but also major improvements to Old Trafford and Carrington.
Also, the additional $300 million funding already pledged is just the start of a significant renovation plan.
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Brailsford, INEOS’ director of sport, who is conducting an audit of United’s structure and personnel, also made a speech where he emphasised the need for improvements on the pitch.
However, most of his talks reportedly revolved around ‘more abstract terms about philosophy’.
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