- Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the new co-owner of Man United, was pictured in London
- The British billionaire has had his work cut out for him since arriving at the club
- He was seen leaving the Arlington restaurant in Mayfair on Thursday evening
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe left a luxury restaurant in Mayfair as he enjoys his extended stint at Old Trafford.
The British billionaire would have had plenty to smile about last weekend after United’s dramatic FA Cup victory over their biggest rivals.
But he still has a lot to think about after admitting this week that there are ‘many aspects’ of Manchester United that he and INEOS need to get right – insisting it will be a ‘long road’.
He was able to chew on his work with the Red Devils while enjoying a meal at Arlington restaurant in Mayfair.
The 71-year-old was seen leaving the site and driven away in a white INEOS Grenadier.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was pictured leaving the Arlington restaurant in Mayfair on Thursday evening
Ratcliffe left the opulent Mayfair restaurant and was driven away in a white INEOS Grenadier
Ratcliffe has been enjoying some time off from his extensive work since becoming owner of Manchester United
One of the many agenda items for Ratcliffe and INEOS is the future of Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Despite United’s excellent win against Liverpool, it has been a poor season and they face a huge battle to reach the Champions League next season, with nine points separating them from fourth-placed Aston Villa.
There are reports that Ratcliffe is growing in confidence in luring England boss Gareth Southgate to Old Trafford.
It was claimed that Southgate, who has been England boss since 2016, has the backing of some of United’s current players – as well as new director of football Dan Ashworth.
Southgate’s contract with the Three Lions expires in December this year, after the European Championships in Germany, and the Football Association are keen to get him to renew it.
One key decision has already been made: Omar Berrada will join from rivals Manchester City as United’s new CEO, while Ashworth is set to take over as Newcastle United’s football director.
Ratcliffe appeared on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast this week, discussing the club’s future stadium plans.
He believes Manchester United should aim to emulate Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona by playing in a ‘world-class’ Old Trafford with a capacity of 100,000 fans.
Erik ten Hag’s future is one of the biggest issues Ratcliffe will have to tackle in the coming months
Reports have suggested they could try to tempt Gareth Southgate to Old Trafford
Ratcliffe told Geraint Thomas that there are ‘many aspects’ he and INEOS need to get right at Man United
The Ineos billionaire, who paid £1.3 billion to buy a 27.7 percent stake in United, has already stated his intention to revamp Old Trafford or build a new ‘Wembley of the North’.
Ratcliffe wants England internationals and even major cup finals to be moved from Wembley to the new venue.
He also told Thomas about the scale of the task ahead as he talked about INEOS’ plans.
Ratcliffe said: ‘It’s not a light switch, it’s a much longer road to travel because there are so many aspects of that club and that game that you have to get right.’
He added that a ‘big part’ of Sir Dave Brailsford’s job would be getting the right people in the right places at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe also wants Man United to emulate Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona by playing at ‘world-class’ Old Trafford with capacity for 100,000 fans.
He said: ‘It’s where you start when you think about it, you need the right organizational structure because football clubs, in the old days of Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager was.
“We don’t have any managers today, we have a coach who normally reports to the sporting director and they report to a general manager.
“So you’ve got to get the recruiting and the strategy of all that stuff – you’ve got to get that organization right and fill it with the people who are the best in their class.”
