SIR JIM RATCLIFFE labelled Manchester United’s purchase of Fred as “dumb” following reports he now wants to buy the club.
In a resurfaced interview from 2019, the boyhood Man United fan was critical of the club’s approach to spending money.
In 2019 he was asked by The Times about whether he would consider owning a Premier League team, and was then questioned about the state of Manchester United.
He said: “Ineos never wants to be the dumb money in town, never, never.
“They (The Glazers and Manchester United) are in quite a big pickle as a business. They haven’t got the manager selection right, haven’t bought well.
“They have been the dumb money, which you see with players like Fred.”
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Amid renewed fan anger at the state of the club, earlier this week it was revealed Ratcliffe is interested in buying the fallen English giant.
A spokesperson for the British billionaire said: “If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer.
“If something like this was possible, we would be interested in talking with a view to long-term ownership. This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent.
“Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset.”
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The 69-year-old is estimated to be worth around £11bn, with his chemical company INEOS a sponsor of Formula One and the owning group of Ligue 1 side Nice.
Man United supporters group MUST issued a statement regarding Ratcliffe’s interest.
While they cautioned that any change in ownership had to be the right one, they also said they looked forward to any discussions about the new ownership of the club.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
