Jim Ratcliffe pleads for patience after agreeing Manchester United deal
FirstpostJim Ratcliffe, who tried to buy Chelsea last year, grew up in the Manchester region and describes himself as a committed fan. Jim Ratcliffe has directly contacted Manchester United fans to plead for patience after agreeing to take a stake in the struggling English football giants. United announced on Christmas eve that British billionaire Ratcliffe had agreed a deal to buy a 25 percent stake in the club for about $1.3 billion, with Ratcliffe vowing to return the Premier League side to the “top of world football”. United also announced in a statement on Sunday that Ratcliffe’s INEOS chemicals company would take control of football operations after years of under-achievement under the US-based Glazer family, the club’s current owners, who retain majority control at Old Trafford. pic.twitter.com/s5nPENPIVz — Fabrizio Romano December 26, 2023 Ratcliffe, 71, has now written to several fans’ groups, including the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, insisting INEOS “are in for the long-term” but stressing on-field success “will require time and patience”, with fans also hoping he can redevelop a crumbling Old Trafford ground.