Man Utd takeover: Erik ten Hag given critical insight into Sir Jim Ratcliffe habits as £1.3billion deal nears

Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has praised incoming Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and suggested Erik ten Hag will enjoy working under the Ineos founder.

Ratcliffe is finally poised to get a seat at the Old Trafford table after a bidding process that has lasted for almost a year as he looks to buy a 25 per cent stake of the club for a fee in the region of £1.3billion.

As part of the arrangement, Ratcliffe is expected to take control of sporting affairs as the unpopular Glazers take a back seat after 18 years at the helm.

The 70-year-old businessman has already identified a number of issues that need addressing on and off the pitch, with the expansion and improvement of Old Trafford an immediate priority.

A number of new faces could also arrive under Ratcliffe, including former Tottenham and Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell to overhaul recruitment.

Ten Hag has played a major role in United’s transfer business since his appointment, with the likes of Tyrell Malacia, Antony, Wout Weghorst, Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat all brought in at his request. And, in that regard, he might have to relinquish some control.

However, as for what goes on at the training ground, former Nice boss Vieira claims that Ten Hag will have nothing to worry about.

The former Arsenal midfielder spent over a year working under Ineos following their takeover and revealed that Ratcliffe does not interfere with the playing side of the operation.

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Ratcliffe keeps his nose out

“He’d never interfere with my work,” Vieira told FourFourTwo when asked about his relationship with Ratcliffe.

“We’d talk about football when we met, about the team and our lives, but he’s not an owner who will get involved too much and prevent the manager from doing his job.

“His ambitions and expectations are high, so you know where you stand, but you can do your job freely.”

Ratcliffe actually fired Vieira in December 2020 after Nice suffered five straight losses in all competitions. And, despite going through several managers since, the Ineos boss appears to have found the right man in Francesco Farioli.

They currently sit second in Ligue 1 after an excellent start to the season, with the club unbeaten through the first eight matches of the campaign.

The report adds that as well as making his own hires in the recruitment department at United, Ratcliffe could also turn to former head of British Cycling Sir Dave Brailsford and ex-PSG chief Jean-Claude Blanc – both of whom are part of the current Ineos sporting setup – prominent roles behind the scenes.

On the pitch, the Red Devils are back in action on Saturday night when they head to Sheffield United in the Premier League.

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