Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a man with a plan and the billionaire has made clear he is at Manchester United for the long haul.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos purchased a stake in Manchester United in late 2023, and the firm are taking control of football operations.
Ineos are making a number of key appointments behind the scenes, however, chief executive Omar Berrada will only begin work in mid-July, while incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth does not have a start date.
Ratcliffe says the manager is not central to the issues at the club, admitting that Erik ten Hag must have an elite level sporting structure around him.
In an interview with The Times, Ratcliffe says he has encountered ‘lots of bad surprises’ at the club since buying in – amid a mixed season which culiminated with FA Cup success.
Ratcliffe at Manchester United long-term
Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he recognises Manchester United is no quick fix, which is fortunate because he admits ‘I’ve no interest in ever selling it’.
The billionaire has previously been on record saying Manchester United cannot go out and buy Kylian Mbappe, even if it was realistic, because the club need to be going out to sign the next Mbappe’s.
Ratcliffe wants Manchester United to be in the business of creating stars – but does not rule out eventually buying an Mbappe as the cherry on top of the cake, once the baking is complete.
He explained: “I don’t think the solution is to buy an Mbappe. We are more grassroots than that. One player is not going to solve the problem at Manchester United.
“The first thing we need to do is build a balanced squad and ultimately maybe top it off with one or two players like Mbappe.
“It will take two or three summer windows to get to a better place.”
Ratcliffe plan an antidote to Manchester United problems
You can trace this back through Manchester United’s recent transfer history to Ed Woodward’s first summer as CEO.
Woodward chased Cesc Fabregas and Gareth Bale, fruitlessly. And that was just the start.
Throwing in big money or big name signings like Angel di Maria, Paul Pogba or even Cristiano Ronaldo did not work.
Going back to 2021, Manchester United needed to strengthen the midfield, and a £73 million deal for winger Jadon Sancho was prioritised.
Ratcliffe and Ineos need to make smart choices – but long term, there is a plan to be better, and meet the squads needs, at the right budget.
And if all of this is executed correctly, maybe there will be room for an Mbappe eventually, by which time he might be sick of Madrid.