Sir Jim Ratcliffe was plotting big changes at Manchester United before his takeover was even finalised.
An 18-month saga came to an end when Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed a £1.2bn takeover on Christmas Eve in 2023.
Ineos were given sporting control at Old Trafford, but Manchester United went on to suffer their worst-ever Premier League finish under the new ownership in 2024/25.
Now, United fans are frustrated at Ineos and the lack of action taken this summer after a terrible end to the season.
Ineos are struggling to sell players, with Ruben Amorim’s five unwanted stars still on the books at United this summer. It turns out Ratcliffe’s mission to sell two players in particular has been going on for years.
Three Man United stars Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to axe
Ratcliffe has introduced an entirely new-look executive team at Old Trafford, but fans would like to see more changes made to the playing squad.
Ineos have changed United’s transfer strategy to target younger, up-and-coming players, but the issue of selling players has continued on from the Glazer years.
Back in November 2023, Ratcliffe wanted to axe three United players as soon as he took charge of the Red Devils.
Ideally, Ratcliffe wanted to sell Jadon Sancho, Antony and Anthony Martial in the January window of 2024 – 18 months on, only Martial has departed.
Martial left United in the summer of 2024 upon the expiry of his contract, and he has since continued his career at Greek club AEK Athens.
Antony and Sancho have not been invited to training for pre-season by Ruben Amorim, who is eager to see both players depart this summer. However, Ratcliffe is still yet to offload both players.
Ineos will have to accept huge losses on Jadon Sancho and Antony
Ineos have backed Amorim’s pre-season decision to not allow five players to return to training, but it has also put United in a tricky transfer position.
Clubs around the globe now know that United are desperate to sell, and therefore they are patiently waiting for the asking prices to drop.
United want £22m for Sancho, while Antony’s asking price is £33m – but Ineos are still struggling to sell at those prices.
READ MORE: Ineos are failing to deliver what was promised in January as Man United board faces disaster
Combined, Sancho and Antony cost United over £150m, so Ineos are going to have to accept a huge loss on both players.
It seems United would be lucky to recoup a third of both players’ transfer fees this summer, but Ineos will have to swallow their pride and get the sales done as quickly as possible.
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