Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s proposal to assume full control of football operations at Manchester United is reportedly set to be completed by next week.
Alan Nixon, a journalist for The Sun, revealed on his podcast that the INEOS owner “hopes to be running” the club by next Monday.
Nixon also indicates Sir Jim Brailsford will be a significant figure in Ratcliffe’s new sporting structure. This is not thought to be the only personnel change in the works, however.
Paul Mitchell has been strongly linked as a potential director of football in this new-look executive branch at Old Trafford. Ratcliffe is thought to have been a long-term admirer of Mitchell, who has worked previously at Monaco, RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
A proposed change at the chief executive position has also been vaunted. Jean-Claude Blanc, previously of Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, has been suggested as a potential option for this role, having recently joined INEOS to oversee their sporting portfolio.
As such, the two figures who occupy these spaces at present at Old Trafford – John Murtough and Richard Arnold – are thought to be in a potentially perilous position. Reports suggest the pair face a fight to “convince” their new boss of their place at the club.
Ratcliffe’s bid for a minority stake of United (25%) is thought to be worth in the region of £1.25 billion; a figure considered a “premium” by sources close to the deal.
As a result, the price only makes sense when the inclusion of full sporting control at Old Trafford is factored in, as well as a potential pathway to full ownership.
The proposal is also reported to include an infrastructure investment pledge with it, worth £245 million. This money will be exclusively utilised to improve the facilities at the club, and will be entirely financed by Ratcliffe – it will, crucially, not add to United’s existing debt.
This means Ratcliffe’s intial investment into the club could reach a total of around £1.5 billion.
These reports constitute positive steps towards the comprehensive overhaul desperately required at Old Trafford, both on and off the pitch.
With Nixon suggesting the first of these steps is set to be made next week, it will represent something of an early Christmas present for the fanbase after what has been an absymal start to the season.