Patrick Vieira, a Manchester United minority shareholder, feels Erik ten Hag will love working under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The petrochemicals billionaire, a lifelong United supporter, is on the approach of concluding a deal to acquire a 25% share in the club for around £1.4 billion.
When the Glazers declared last November that they were open to investment or a full sale, the INEOS CEO initially made a proposal for a controlling ownership in the club.
However, following a lengthy stalemate, Ratfcliffe filed an amended bid for a minority ownership in the club, the first step in what is being considered as a staged buyout.
As part of the proposal, which is anticipated to be approved in the coming days, Ratcliffe’s firm will take over the football team at Old Trafford with the goal of reversing a decade-long slide on the field.
And Vieira, who previously worked with Ratcliffe at Nice, believes it is fantastic news for United.
He’d never get in the way of my work,’ the former Arsenal midfielder told FourFourTwo earlier this year.
‘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 aspirations and expectations are strong, so you know where you stand, but you have the freedom to do your job.’
Nice was purchased by Ratcliffe in July 2019 after finishing seventh in Ligue 1 in Vieira’s first season in charge.
The following season, the Frenchman guided the club to fifth place, but he was removed of his duties in December 2020 after a run of five consecutive defeats in all competitions.
Leave a Reply