“So I think it’s a good idea to bring in some new ownership. If they are successful then my sponsorship is much more successful.”
Petrochemicals tycoon Ratcliffe is expected to take control of the sporting department at Old Trafford. INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, the former Team GB cycling coach, is reportedly identifying areas where the club’s expenditure can be streamlined.
It is claimed that some of the club’s 1,100 workforce are at risk in cuts that are expected to be made when INEOS’s arrival is made formal. Ratcliffe, Brailsford and INEOS chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc met with fan groups on Monday in what is an apparent bid to extend an olive branch to supporters who have become dissatisfied with the silence from the Glazer siblings, who rarely speak in public.
