Manchester United’s long-term vision under Sir Jim Ratcliffe is facing increasing scrutiny as the club prepares for a pivotal summer.
Ineos’ presence at Old Trafford has already begun to shape the way the Red Devils operate, from structural overhauls to a more targeted recruitment strategy.
Behind the scenes, commercial considerations and cost-saving exercises have ramped up, with a second wave of staff redundancies reportedly in motion.
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United’s Europa League final against Tottenham looms large, with Champions League qualification potentially offering a financial lifeline.
But as United look ahead, developments in France could have an unexpected ripple effect on Ratcliffe’s overall sporting ambitions.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s efforts to offload French side OGC Nice have been dealt a major blow after the Ligue 1 outfit failed to secure automatic qualification for the Champions League.
Nice, who were acquired by Ratcliffe’s Ineos group in 2019 for £85 million, currently sit fourth in the league with one game remaining but can no longer catch third-place Monaco.
This means Nice must go through a gruelling set of qualification rounds, starting in August, in order to reach the group stage of the competition.
Their 2-0 defeat to Rennes at the weekend all but dashed hopes of a top-three finish, with Arnaud Kalimuendo scoring twice for the hosts.
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The missed opportunity severely dents Ratcliffe’s plans to secure a sale of the club, having recently engaged Lazard, a New York investment bank, to help find a buyer with a reported £213 million asking price, as per The Mirror.
Nice have been operating under a ‘blind trust’ due to UEFA regulations, as both they and Manchester United are in European competitions, preventing Sir Jim Ratcliffe or Ineos from having control or influence over the French club this season.
French football’s ongoing TV rights crisis and the loss of guaranteed Champions League revenue only make the sale more complicated.
Speaking to The Times, Ratcliffe admitted he has little enthusiasm left for the club: “With Nice, in the French league, you can buy a club for £100million.
“It’s much cheaper access. But I don’t particularly enjoy going to watch Nice because there are some good players but the level of football is not high enough for me to get excited.”
He added: “The best season that Nice has had is this one where we’ve not been allowed to get involved because of multi-club ownership rules.
“They’ve been so much better without our interference! Maybe there’s a lesson there as well, you know.”
As United’s Champions League future hangs on one result, Ratcliffe’s broader sporting empire now faces pressure on more than one front.
