Exclusive: Sir Jim Ratcliffe facing £100m takeover blow
Sir Jim Ratcliffe could be forced to accept an offer for Nice worth “well below” his initial asking price, sources have told Football Insider.
The INEOS chief purchased a 100 per cent stake in the French club in a deal worth around £85million back in 2019.
Ratcliffe put Nice up for sale last May, but he is yet to agree a deal with any interested parties.
Bloomberg reported on 15 January the British billionaire has now slashed his asking price for the Ligue 1 side after previously demanding in excess of €200m (£173.6m).
Sources have told Football Insider Nice could be worth more than £100m lower than Ratcliffe’s initial asking price due to the issues French football is currently facing.
Why is Sir Jim Ratcliffe facing issues agreeing Nice takeover?
Ratcliffe’s efforts to sell Nice have been complicated by uncertainty surrounding Ligue 1’s TV deal, with the league currently operating its own platform to broadcast matches.
Meanwhile, there is also ill feeling among the fans, who have protested against the club’s ownership in recent times.
Franck Haise’s side currently sit 15th in the Ligue 1 table, just two places above the relegation zone after 18 games.
Nice make up part of INEOS’ multi-club ownership model alongside Premier League giants Manchester United.
Ratcliffe purchased an initial 27.7 per cent stake at Old Trafford in February 2024 after agreeing a £1.25billion deal with the Glazers.
It was revealed in early 2025 Ratcliffe had increased his stake in Man United to 28.9 per cent after injecting around £240m into the club.
Why Ratcliffe could be forced to take step back at Man United
Alongside his issues selling Nice, Ratcliffe is currently facing problems away from football following INEOS’ financial struggles.
The Telegraph reported on 29 December the 73-year-old is battling to save the petrochemicals giant from “drowning under £18bn of debt”.
Ratcliffe, who serves as INEOS’ chairman and CEO, has blamed the company’s issues on high energy costs, US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs and cheap Chinese imports.
Football Insider revealed on 1 January Ratcliffe could be forced to temporarily step back at Man United to focus on INEOS despite being in charge of the footballing operations at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick has recently been appointed as Man United’s interim manager until the end of this season, with the club currently sitting fifth in the Premier League table.
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