Ex-OGC Nice star raves about Sir Jim Ratcliffe with Manchester United investment nearly complete

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Manchester United fans looking for positive signs about Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority takeover should look no further.

When the Glazers announced plans to invite strategic investment last November, invitation for full takeover offers also said minority offers would be considered too.

In the end, this looks like being where we are headed, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe on the verge of buying a 25 per cent stake in the club.

BBC Sport report Ratcliffe’s offer is expected to be approved by the board this week.

Insight on Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s firm Ineos has had a controlling stake in French side OGC Nice since 2019.

With the club generating a modest turnover, the spending has been limited, and until this season, results have been largely underwhelming.

This season there is a sense Ratcliffe may finally have got it right, with the side riding high in second position in Ligue 1.

Former OGC Nice defender Jose Cobos has given an interview to Le Quotidien Du Sport in which he talks highly of Ratcliffe’s ownership.

Cobos said: “Many clubs would like to have such a shareholder. He is discreet, but always present. When many clubs sold players, Nice bought a lot and made efforts to keep the team competitive. 

“Spending €40 million in a transfer window is not nothing. It proves that Jim Ratcliffe is still determined to help the club win.”

Ratcliffe would have more money at his disposal at Manchester United, with the club generating it’s own wealth. It just needs to be run more effectively.

Cobos added: “He works over time as he has done in other sports with success. He is preparing tomorrow’s successes today. His method has proven itself.”

Positive signs for Manchester United

Part of the problem at Manchester United has been the desperation for short-term success. Look at the cast of ageing players signed in recent seasons who are past their best.

Ratcliffe will look to bring in effective leadership, having learned from his initial errors at OGC Nice. That has been a crash-course in preparation for the Manchester United lion’s den.

Nice’s promising start to the season in France is an indication Ratcliffe can provide some positive direction at Manchester United, a club that looks in dire need of a helping hand right now, on and off the pitch.