The first flashpoint could be emerging in France as Ineos look to balance the needs and focus of their two top clubs.
Multi-club ownership is a very controversial topic. It can matter less if you are the club at the top of the food chain, like Manchester United.
Ineos would insist Nice are not subservient to United, and won’t necessarily be a ‘feeder club’. A partnership could benefit both, if the Red Devils’ best prospects head the other way to develop.
It’s early days, to see how Ineos will manage the two clubs, and we will learn more this summer.
Heading into the transfer window, a spanner could be in the works for Ineos at a critical time.
Nice fight to hold onto Florent Ghisolfi
Approaching the transfer window, Nice are suddenly fighting to keep hold of sporting director Florent Ghisolfi.
Ghisolfi has been targeted by Roma as a replacement for Tiago Pinto, who quit earlier this year.
Pinto, in turn, has been linked to Newcastle, per Football Italia, as a replacement for Manchester United-bound Dan Ashworth.
Footmercato report Ghisolfi is serious about joining Roma. The outlet reported: “According to our information, Ghisolfi has even already informed Nice of his desire to leave the club.”
The report adds: “He will now have to make arrangements with Ineos to facilitate his departure.”
Ghisolfi was appointed by Ineos two years ago and has helped the Ligue 1 club get into a position where European qualification looks certain for 2024/25.
However, he is said to be dissatisfied at Nice, with Footmercato reporting that Ghisolfi ‘believes that the Champions League project that he was sold at the time has now changed.’
Nice finished down in ninth place last season. This season they are fifth, although will finish just short of the Champions League spots.
While this is positive progress, there are reported to be doubts over Ineos’ focus on the club amid Manchester United investment.
Foot01 follow up the report, writing that Ghisolfi ‘believes that the project sold upon his arrival in November 2022 has been revised downwards. In question, the entry of the owner Ineos into the capital of Manchester United.’
He is said to have met with Roma back in January, and is keen to join a club now looking to rebuild in the wake of Jose Mourinho‘s departure.
Ineos were always cautious spenders at Nice, despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s wealth. They had to spend within their means. Missing out on Champions League football despite their positive progress this season, will slow down their ability to spend.
Roma themselves are only sixth in Serie A, so this would be a sideways switch on one level, although Ghisolfi evidently believes there is more upside there than if he remains at Nice.
Impact for Manchester United
What does all this mean for Manchester United? The answer to this question is that it becomes a distraction for Ineos at a critical time.
This is a vital summer to lay groundwork at Old Trafford on and off the pitch. Ideally, Nice’s senior team would stay in place and effectively run itself.
Ineos Sport chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc was previously over seeing Nice on a top-down basis, and he will eventually have the same backroom role at Manchester United. But for now, he has become more hands-on, as interim chief executive at Old Trafford before Omar Berrada can start.
Now, Blanc, Sir Dave Brailsford, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have to either fight to keep a not wholly satisfied Ghisolfi in place, or begin the search for a replacement – at a time where Manchester United fans will feel their attention should be fully focused on the Premier League club.
It is going to be a difficult balancing act, and Ineos will have to be alert to the sentiments of Nice fans surrounding his possible departure.
They will need to show ambition, and demonstrate that they retain focus on the French side, that they are not an afterthought, and can build on an expected fifth-placed finish and Europa League qualification.
Manchester United are meanwhile linked with a trio of Jean-Clair Todibo, Melvin Bard and Khephren Thuram.
What kind of message would it send from Nice to let one, let alone two or three, head to Manchester United?
Perhaps this helps solve the problem, however. If United pay fair market value for Todibo alone, that is £40 million. That would be a sizeable fee for the French club to use themselves, a potential attraction for a new sporting director.
