Souness warned Ratcliffe against Man Utd move as he delivers scathing verdict
Graeme Souness has not pulled any punches over the state of Manchester United after admitting he's previously warned Sir Jim Ratcliffe not to invest in a football club.
The Ineos chief is negotiating a deal to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the club, that would still leave the Glazer family as the majority owners. It follows a prolonged saga which initially saw the American family announce their intention to sell the club last November.
Ratcliffe duly entered the race to take over, along with Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim, but neither candidate seemingly met the required valuation. The lifelong United fan has therefore offered a compromise, although his purchase is yet to be confirmed amid much fan discontent that the Glazers will remain at the helm.
Souness meanwhile, has been vociferously critical of the Manchester club for their exploits both on the field and off it. The former Liverpool midfielder however, was impressed with Ratcliffe's persona during a previous meeting.
"He was very impressive, a man of few words," he wrote in the Daily Mail. "He asked me if it was a good idea buying a club. At the time, he was not in the press every day. I told him overnight he would become a household name, and I asked if he wanted that. He said no. I said, ‘Don’t buy a football club then!’."
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Clearly, the 71-year-old hasn't taken heed of the warning. And he's been warned by former Sky pundit Souness that he has a "mountain to climb" if he's to change the current fortunes at Old Trafford.
"The club in which he is about to take a 25 per cent stake are so far behind where they want to be, and where they should be," he added. They are one of, if not the biggest club in world. Yet, they have a modest group of players."
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is close to acquiring a 25 per cent stake in Man Utd (AFP via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Can Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment turnaround Man United? Comment below.
Indeed, the outspoken Souness believes that recruitment is the key area Ratcliffe must address if he is to prove a success at United. The Scot believes that since Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill left in 2013, the club have "given a masterclass in how not to do it," having spent more than £1billion with limited success.
But manager Erik ten Hag hasn't escaped his wrath either. Indeed, Souness implied Ratcliffe can ill-afford to give the Dutchman a free rein on transfers given his previous work in the market, stating "Ten Hag cannot absolve himself from recruitment issues."
Regardless, it is unlikely that Ratcliffe will be able to exert much influence in the next transfer window in January. A 12-man board at United met to discuss his proposal last Thursday, but it is likely to take months for the deal is expected to go through.
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