British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has expressed his ambition for Manchester United to reach the elite stature of Real Madrid in the world of football.
The Ineos chief took control of football operations at Old Trafford after acquiring a minority stake in Manchester United. As part of the deal, the 71-year-old has already initiated behind-the-scenes changes, bringing in key figures like Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox, and Jean-Claude Blanc.
Also, Ratcliffe will inject £237 million into Manchester United for investment into Old Trafford as part of his stake acquisition.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Ratcliffe revealed that his work at Manchester United is far from complete, emphasizing that there is significant room for improvement. He stated his mission is to elevate the Red Devils to the level of Real Madrid in world football, acknowledging that it will take time to achieve this goal.
“There’s room for improvement everywhere we look at Manchester United, and we will improve everything,” Ratcliffe said.
“We want to be where Real Madrid is today, but it’ll take time.”
Real Madrid are currently redeveloping the iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium as part of an ambitious £860 million project. Ratcliffe has previously outlined bold ambitions for Manchester United’s stadium, including the idea of establishing a ‘Wembley of the North’ in England.
Real Madrid has also bolstered its squad depth with high-profile signings such as Jude Bellingham in 2023 and Kylian Mbappe in 2024.
Ratcliffe admitted that Manchester United lacks the star power of Los Blancos, adding that one superstar “isn’t going to solve the problem at Manchester United.” He pointed out, “Manchester United doesn’t have any players that are valued at €100 million or more.”
