Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'could cut 300 jobs' at Man Utd in ruthless overhaul

26 December 2023 , 18:46

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'could cut 300 jobs' at Man Utd in ruthless overhaul

Up to 300 jobs at Manchester United will potentially be put at risk as new shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe ruthlessly assesses the club's spending and infrastructure ahead of his arrival at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe, 71, has agreed a £1.3billion deal with United's current owners, the Glazer family, to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the club and take control of their football department. The INEOS chairman, a boyhood Red Devils supporter born in Greater Manchester, will have to wait until his agreement is ratified by the Premier League to officially begin his work, but in the meantime has set the wheels in motion for significant changes at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe is expected to ask an external auditor to assess the club's structure and expenditure, according to the Guardian. This is with a view to carrying out a major streamlining exercise which means as many as 300 roles could be at risk.

Ratcliffe is said to believe that staff numbers at the club, which are a minimum of 1,000, could be reduced by between 25-30 per cent. United chiefs have been in talks with Ratcliffe and his INEOS colleagues over the past few months, with the Red Devils being reminded to curb rising costs in order to make sure that the club stay within the limits of financial fair play.

Since the Glazers announced in November 2022 that the club was to undergo a strategic review, staff in various departments at Old Trafford have been aware of the potential threat which comes with structural change. Richard Arnold notably left his role as CEO in November, with Patrick Stewart taking temporary charge.

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Ratcliffe has pledged to inject $300m (£237m) into the club but the cash will likely be reserved for infrastructural improvement and won't be spent on transfers.

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Former British cycling chief Sir Dave Brailsford is among those who are expected to take an key role in INEOS' work at United. He is expected to spend time in Manchester next month.

He'll be joined by ex-Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus bigwig Jean-Claude Blanc, now CEO of the petrochemicals company's sport division which is involved in football, Formula 1, cycling and sailing among others.

Nathan Ridley