Shakeup looms as Ratcliffe visits Manchester for talks with Ten Hag

Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrived in Manchester on Tuesday and is set to hold talks with embattled manager Erik ten Hag and other coaching staff, according to reports by Daily Mail journalist Chris Wheeler.

Ratcliffe, also the chairman and CEO of INEOS, recently completed a 25 per cent takeover at Old Trafford on Christmas Eve in a deal worth £1.3 billion. He flew into Manchester on his private jet on Tuesday.

Ratcliffe is expected to take control of the club’s footballing affairs once the Premier League approves it and will also inject $300m (£237m) into the club for investment in its infrastructure, taking his immediate outlay to roughly $1.5bn (£1.2bn).

“Sir Jim Ratcliffe is in Manchester today and will hold meetings at Old Trafford and Carrington for the first time. On Tuesday, he will speak with Erik ten Hag and coaching staff at the training ground,” Wheeler said on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

The 71-year-old is expected to spend several days in Manchester and visit Old Trafford, the Carrington training ground, before making critical decisions.

The first team squad have been given Tuesday off, but Ratcliffe will meet Ten Hag, whose future is uncertain at Old Trafford following Man United’s poor season run.

Ten Hag Man United’s side have been inconsistent so far this season. The Red Devils are currently eighth on the Premier League table, lost nine, won ten of their opening 20 league matches this season, and finished at the bottom of their Champions League group.

He will also meet with key figures behind the scenes and is expected to greet players later this week.

Ratcliffe and some key INEOS colleagues visited United last March while the Glazers still weighed up a potential complete sale.

INEOS’ sporting director, Sir Dave Brailsford, has been at United’s past two games – the comeback win against Aston Villa on Boxing Day and Saturday’s flaccid defeat away to Nottingham Forest.