Sir Jim Ratcliffe sets funds aside as he identifies first priority after taking over at Manchester United: Reports
Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reportedly look to improve and expand Old Trafford should he be successful in purchasing a stake in Manchester United.
According to The Times, Ratcliffe is set to attend to one of the club's biggest issues which is the current state of Old Trafford. The 113-year-old stadium is in urgent need of modernization.
The INEOS chairman is set to have an offer of £1.3 billion accepted by Manchester United's owners The Glazers. It will see him take up a 25 percent stake in the club and he will be overseeing sporting matters.
Fans' protests against the Glazers' ownership have ranged from many issues including Old Trafford. Ratcliffe is eager to get fans on board following Sheikh Jassim's decision to pull out of the bidding process.
Ratcliffe wants to renovate the Red Devils' stadium and even improve its capacity from 74,310 to Old Trafford. That would see it draw level with Wembley as the biggest stadium in the UK.
The 25 percent stake offer is for INEOS to get their foot in the door before an eventual full takeover of Manchester United. They intend to invest in the club's infrastructure and the Carrington training facilities are also set for improvement.
Ratcliffe draws up five-man shortlist to become Manchester United's new sporting director
According to The Athletic, Ratcliffe is also set to make his own appointments on the football side once acquiring a stake in Manchester United. The British billionaire has five names in mind for the sporting director role.
The first is Paul Mitchell who recently left Ligue 1 side AS Monaco and moved back to Manchester. He has previously worked at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and RB Leipzig, finding talent such as Sadio Mane, Son Heung Min, and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Meanwhile, Michael Edwards and Julian Ward who helped Jurgen Klopp build his successful Liverpool team over the past decade are also under consideration. As is Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Ashworth has previously worked with Brighton & Hove Albion and started his career in the FA working with Gareth Southgate. Ratcliffe also rates Jean-Claude Blanc who is the CEO of INEOS' sporting empire including teams in football, Formula 1, and rugby.
The Glazers have been criticized for sporting decisions over the past few years. The Red Devils' recruitment has often been questioned, spending vast amounts of money on players that often fail to reach expectations.