Neville devises six-point Man Utd plan for Ratcliffe to appease Glazers

26 October 2023 , 08:10

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Gary Neville has spoken to fans about Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Manchester United takeover (Image: PA)

Gary Neville has told Sir Jim Ratcliffe he must appease six 'hungry beasts' if he's to make Manchester United successful again.

INEOS chief Ratcliffe is on the verge of buying a 25 percent stake in the Red Devils after beating competition from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Glazers put United up for sale nearly a year ago, with a conclusion to the saga finally in sight.

Neville is a vocal critic of the Glazers following an underwhelming decade at Old Trafford. United have won four major honours - two League Cups, the FA Cup and the Europa League - since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 but have struggled in the Premier League.

Although the Glazers are staying at Old Trafford for now, Neville hopes that Ratcliffe can turn United's fortunes around. The former Red Devils captain outlined six main priorities for the incoming shareholder during a Q&A on Twitter on Thursday morning.

Neville was asked by a United fan: "What is your thoughts on Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 25 percent bid and keeping the Glazers? We want a full sale and the Glazers gone now."

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Neville replied: "A lot of questions to answer! How does a minority shareholder feed five hungry beasts? 1. The Glazer family. 2. New York Stock Exchange. 3. Capital needed for players. 4. Capital needed for the stadium regeneration and training ground. 5. (Handling) the nearly £1billion of debt... and (six) win football matches."

Ratcliffe is buying a 25 percent stake in Manchester United (PA)

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The Glazers will remain in charge of United and Ratcliffe will need to work closely with them if United are to be successful. As the Red Devils float on the New York Stock Exchange, the actions of the INEOS chief could increase or devalue the club's worth.

Erik ten Hag obviously needs a big budget for transfers, with United's rivals - the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle - spending plenty of cash on new players. Ten Hag's team are eighth in the Premier League table.

Old Trafford desperately needs to be either renovated or rebuilt in the near future. It's no longer regarded as one of the country's top stadiums and will not be used when the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland host the Euros in five years' time.

It's expected to cost up to £1.5bn for Old Trafford to be brought up to scratch. United's Carrington training ground also needs to improved, with Cristiano Ronaldo criticising it before his exit last year. In regards to debt, Ratcliffe hasn't promised to eradicate this but must find a way to manage this situation and ensure it doesn't get too high.

Tom Blow