Ratcliffe appeals to United fans in private meeting

Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe told the club’s supporters that he wants to hire the “right people” to restore its winning culture in a meeting last night. 

The British billionaire held his “first bilateral meeting” with representatives from the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) alongside Jean-Claude Blanc, Sir Dave Brailsford and other unnamed club officials. 

MUST said it was “very refreshing” that Ratcliffe made himself available “at this early stage”.

The Trust’s dialogue with the Glazers has been fractured over the 19-year ownership. Joel Glazer only met fans for the first time just months after a failed attempt to join the European Super League in 2021. 

But fans recognised that Ratcliffe was unable to speak freely at this stage due to constraints of “stock market rules”. His deal to buy 25% of club shares for £1.3bn and commitment to investing £300m in infrastructure requires approval from the Premier League. 

Ratcliffe said that “everything at United needs to be ruthlessly focussed on creating winning teams on the field”, according to MUST. 

He also discussed viewing the club as a “community asset” and not wishing to profit from the club.

It follows comments by Ratcliffe claiming the deal is the highlight of his life. 

Ratcliffe, a boyhood Manchester United fan, had been locked in negotiations to buy the club for nearly a year, tussling with Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim for full ownership before the Glazers decided to sell a minority shareholding. He also bid for Chelsea after Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government. 

The club currently sit in 7th place following a tough first half of the season under manager Erik Ten Hag.

Sir Dave Brailsford, who is the current principle of cycling team Ineos Grenadiers, is widely expected to join Manchester United in some capacity.