Manchester United can reportedly spend big following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment into the club. It is claimed the British billionaire’s arrival will substantially increase the Red Devils’ transfer kitty heading into the summer window.
Ratcliffe’s purchase of 25 per cent of United’s shares was finally agreed on Christmas Eve. It brought to an end a long-running takeover saga which first started in November 2022 when the Glazer family signalled their intent to sell.
The investment has not yet been ratified and the process could take up to six weeks. But Ratcliffe and INEOS are fully expected to be in place for the back end of the current season as they build towards the summer window.
Sir Dave Brailsford will be on the board at United and has already been spotted in the crowd at the club’s last two matches. United fans have been keen to discover what INEOS’ arrival will mean for their transfer budget.
And a report from The Times claims it is good news. Ratcliffe’s arrival will enable United to splash the cash this summer without breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
United were wary of FFP last summer and pulled out of the running for top target Harry Kane. Their recruitment has also been restricted by the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
The PSR rules restrict clubs to £15million of allowable losses over a three-year period. A further £90m of losses would be permitted if the owners inject new equity into a club.
The Times says United have been unable to spend near the higher end of the PSR because the Glazers were not willing to inject additional capital. But it is claimed that Ratcliffe’s deal will prevent that from happening in the future.
Injecting a further £90m would grant the new United hierarchy the option of spending ‘several hundred million more’ on new players. That will certainly be music to the ears of manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag is looking forward to working with the new investors and says the feeling is mutual. He said this week: “They want to work with me, I want to work with them, and we will have the conversations, the meetings, we will see.
“I can say in this moment I’m looking forward to the talks with them. In other [football] clubs, they have experience, in other sports, they have a lot of experience, a lot about performance, a lot of knowledge so I’m really looking forward to [seeing] how they can contribute and I’m sure they can.
“Football is a very complicated sport, especially at the top, so I’m sure they will contribute, they will help us to achieve our high ambitions.”
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