TalkSPORT presenter Simon Jordan admitted that he is backing one “ambitious” plan that Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has for Premier League side Manchester United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner of Manchester United back in late 2023 and the 72-year-old British billionaire has divided fans since his minority stake purchase.
The United co-owner has been ruthless with sweeping cuts at Old Trafford, including the plan to axe Sir Alex Ferguson from his ambassadorial contract.
Ratcliffe also sparked a massive backlash from Red Devils supporters last December after United increased matchday ticket prices to £66 amid the 2024-25 season.
The Ineos chief was also left red-faced after former United sporting director Dan Ashworth left his role in 2024 only five months after his arrival at Old Trafford.
Jordan’s two cents on Ratcliffe’s plans
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s initial purchase of Manchester United, which was completed in 2024, allowed him to capture a 27.7 per cent stake as part of a £1.25bn deal.
The United co-owner committed to a $300m investment into the Old Trafford stadium and Ratcliffe put another $100m (£79.43m) into the club last December.
Ratcliffe, who took his United stake to 28.94 per cent in 2024, has been keen to overhaul the Red Devils’ iconic stadium after becoming co-owner of the club.
The boyhood United fan has teased the vision of a ‘Wembley of the North’ and a new stadium for the Red Devils could cost an eye-watering £2bn.
Speaking in The Daily Mail, Simon Jordan insisted that he is not keen for the “second Wembley tag” to stick if United do build their new stadium under Ratcliffe.
However, Jordan added that “radically revamping” Old Trafford is the right call and he thinks it would be deeply transformative for the Red Devils.
“I only hope this second Wembley tag doesn’t stick,” he wrote in his column for the newspaper.
“There’s no such thing and no need for it. Wembley is Wembley and part of the iconography of English football that helped facilitate the powerhouse of the world’s most successful domestic league.
“Don’t dilute the name as some nod to ‘levelling up’ – you wouldn’t call another tennis tournament the Wimbledon of the north.
“Regardless of the nickname, the idea of radically revamping Old Trafford is right. A vital game-changer for the whole club, in fact.
“For most clubs, such an ambitious project would be a fiercely challenging prospect because of over-reach. For Manchester United, it’s an opportunity laid upon opportunity.”
Jordan on new Man Utd stadium
Last month, United welcomed the news from the Sir Keir Starmer-backed administration over their support for the project to regenerate the area around Old Trafford.
The Red Devils announced that a ‘task force’ for the Old Trafford project had been set up in 2024 and it featured key figures, including United legend Gary Neville.
Jordan insisted that United face the “big decision” to either revamp the existing Old Trafford stadium or “start from scratch” with a brand-new venue.
“Ratcliffe will realise building a stadium has to be matched by progress on the field,” he said.
“One has to spark the other, not stifle. He is an innovator. He creates things so it’s logical that to fulfil the ambition he has for United and the legacy he wants to leave, building a bigger and better home for the club will be the guiding principle.
“The big decision for United is whether to redevelop and enlarge the existing stadium to 87,000 or start from scratch and make it even bigger.
“I’d be inclined to go with the new build – more expensive but with greater revenues and future-proofed, rather than bolting on. I suspect Sir Jim would also like that.”
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