SIR JIM RATCLIFFE and his chief lieutenant headed out for dinner at The Ivy after opening the door for all but THREE players to leave Manchester United.
The British billionaire has taken over football operations at Old Trafford having paid £1.03bn for a 27.7 per cent stake in the club.
The 71-year-old and his Ineos Director of Sport Sir Dave Brailsford have since set about trying to rebuild the whole club from top to bottom.
United confirmed the appointment of Jason Wilcox as technical director last month from Southampton.
That came after Man Utd revealed ex-Man City man Omar Berrada as their new chief executive.
A new sporting director is yet to be officially appointed but is expected to be Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth, who is on gardening leave, with more talks to thrash out compensation set to take place.
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It was also announced interim chief executive Patrick Stewart and chief financial officer Cliff Baty will leave United at the end of the season this week.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe and Brailsford are also hoping to make huge strides on the pitch – and that will start with a huge clearout.
It emerged that United will “listen to offers” for all but THREE of their squad in this summer’s transfer window.
Agents and rival clubs are believed to be well aware of their policy with only young trio Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho not up for grabs.
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Club captain Bruno Fernandes has since hinted that he could quit Old Trafford this summer while the future of boss Erik ten Hag remains under huge scrutiny as he tries to prepare for the upcoming FA Cup Final against Man City.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford will resist any attempt to get rid of him at the end of the season.
That meant that Ratcliffe and Brailsford had plenty to chew the fat over as they met up at The Ivy in Manchester last night.
The two chiefs were joined by three other men for the working dinner in the city centre as they continue their plans to try and restore the club to its former glories.
Ratcliffe was spotted wearing white trousers and a denim shirt, accompanied with a brown jacket.
And Brailsford, wearing the glasses, had matching white trousers along with a dark top.
The meal could also have been planned to mark Ratcliffe winning an 18 month planning battle after a neighbour row over beehives and a tennis court.
Man Utd are ‘dynamic and entertaining’… but not in a good way, says Dave Kidd
By Dave Kidd
MUCH guffawing when Erik ten Hag proclaimed his Manchester United side as “one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams” in the Premier League after a 1-1 home draw with Burnley.
But I agree with him.
This season I’ve watched live as United beat Liverpool and Wolves 4-3, drew 3-3 with Coventry and Galatasaray and lost 4-3 at Bayern Munich and Copenhagen.
I also watched on telly as they were beaten 4-3 at Chelsea.
As a neutral, I can’t remember seeing any team involved in quite so many mental matches during the course of one season.
The problem is Ten Hag isn’t there to produce chaotic entertainment for the likes of me, he’s there to make Manchester United successful and make their fans happy — which is an entirely different metric.
Read Dave Kidd’s full column here
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We revealed how he had faced accusations he was turning his seven acre waterside property in Hampshire’s New Forest into an “industrial site”.
The British businessman built two huge barns, a tennis court and a pergola without consent and applied for retrospective permission from the planning authority in 2022.
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He has now been granted planning permission for developments at his £6m holiday home which included a honey-making factory.
Ranked as Britain’s second wealthiest man with an estimated worth of £29bn, the petrochemicals magnate has now successfully argued his case after a protracted process.
Pundits verdict on Ten Hag’s future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
