Manchester United: Sir Jim Ratcliffe has final say on Erik ten Hag’s future and January transfers

New document reveals Ineos must be consulted over key decisions while they wait for Premier League to ratify deal
Giuseppe Muro27 December 2023

Manchester United cannot make any significant January signings or sack Erik ten Hag without consulting Ineos, a new document has revealed.

The clause came to light in a 241-page document published on the New York Stock Exchange about the deal between Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers.

Ratcliffe and his Ineos team face a four to six week wait for their purchase of 25 per cent of United to be ratified by the Premier League.

But the Glazers have agreed to hand over complete control of football operations to Ratcliffe and, under the terms of the agreement, United cannot make a decision on a player signing or sale, including loan moves, in January unless they consult him.

The document has also revealed that neither manager Ten Hag or the football director John Murtough can be sacked without the involvement of Ineos.

Ten Hag’s position is under scrutiny but he got the new era off to a good start as United came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in front of Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford on Tuesday.

It has also been revealed Ratcliffe has first refusal for a year if the Glazers want to sell more of their Class B shares, and that the Glazers could make Ratcliffe sell in a potential future outright sale after 18 months.

After the Villa win, Ten Hag welcomed the deal, saying: “I don’t think it has had an impact on the players. For me, I was kept informed in the whole process, so I knew what was going on. We're looking forward. I think it is positive for the club that they are stepping in.

“They have a lot of experience in sport at the highest level: Formula One, a cycling team, football clubs. They can only help us and support us to get our targets. They want to work with us and we want to work with them.”

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