"You are ambitious for Manchester United and so are we" - Sir Jim Ratcliffe sends message after acquiring minority stake
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has written to the Manchester United supporters group to outline his commitment to the club. The Englishman, who has now been confirmed as the new 25% stakeholder at the club, wants to take the club back to the top.
The businessman wrote that he needs time to understand the club and has asked for patience from the fans. However, he has made it clear that he is thinking long-term and will not speak directly to anyone until the Premier League approval is confirmed. Ratcliffe wrote:
"I wanted to write to you at this time given the critical role of the fans to the future of Manchester United as we recognise our responsibility as custodians of the Club on your behalf.
"I believe we can bring sporting success on the pitch to complement the undoubted commercial success that the club has enjoyed. It will require time and patience alongside rigour and the highest level of professional management."
Ratcliffe wrote about his ambitions for Manchester Untied moving forward and insisted that he wants to take the club to the top. He wrote:
"You are ambitious for Manchester United and so are we. There are no guarantees in sport, and change can inevitably take time but we are in it for the long term and together we want to help take Manchester United back to where the club belongs, at the very top of English, European and World Football. I take that responsibility very seriously.
"Please note that, as with any deal, it is subject to the usual regulatory sign-off process and therefore we do not expect to speak publicly about Club matters until after the deal has completed."
The Telegraph have reported that Ratcliffe will have to wait four to six weeks for the Premier League approval. Therefore, the Glazers will remain in charge of the January transfer window and the new owner will have to wait until the summer to make an impact.
The Glazers agree to sell 25% of their Manchester United share to INEOS
Manchester United announced on December 24 that they had agreed a deal with INEOS to complete a 25% takeover of the Glazers' share in the club. The Class A shares would bring in just over £236 million to the club and reports suggest Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have sporting control at the club.
The announcement came just over a year since the Glazers put the club up for sale. The move was welcomed by the fans but the 25% takeover was met with mixed reactions. The majority wanted the American owners completely out of Old Trafford.
Qatari consortium, 92 Foundation, made multiple offers to buy the club completely from the Glazers but fell short. They took their offer off the table earlier this season after the process was being stretched.