 |
| Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company will have some influence over the football side of the business now the investment deal is complete. Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images |
After months of negotiations, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe (chairman and CEO of chemical company INEOS) has finally completed a deal to acquire a 25% stake in Manchester United for around £1.25 billion ($1.6bn).
Sources told ESPN's Rob Dawson that the deal will give Ratcliffe some influence over the football side of the business, with Sir Dave Brailsford, director of sport at INEOS, expected to be heavily involved. But United's unpopular American owners, the Glazer family, will keep their majority shareholding after they rejected bids for a full takeover worth around £5bn from both Ratcliffe and Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
Sources added that Ratcliffe is ready to invest funds to improve both the Old Trafford stadium and Carrington training ground, but what should the focus be now the paperwork has been signed?
In a 25-year career, ESPN's Tor-Kristian Karlsen has worked at a number of clubs in a variety of countries including England, Germany, Russia, France, Israel and Norway -- in roles such as chief executive, sporting director, chief scout -- and is well qualified to answer that question. So here's his to-do list for Ratcliffe and the United hierarchy.
