Toby Wilding

Fri 28 February 2025 17:30, UK

Jim Ratcliffe may now regret investing in Man United given the struggles the club are enduring on an off the field, Alan Brazil has suggested.

The INEOS owner bought a 25% stake in the club from the Glazers in February last year, which saw him take control of the sporting sector of the business at Old Trafford.

Since then, Ratcliffe has overseen a large number of job cuts at Man United which have been blamed on some on the transfer decisions he and others have made.

Beyond that, Ratcliffe has also been slammed over ticket prices and Old Trafford and other measures taken to try and improve the financial situation.

Now Brazil believes all of that may have left the 72-year-old questioning his decision to buy a stake in the club at all, particularly given he has claimed to be a Man United fan.

‘Jim Ratcliffe may be having second thoughts over Old Trafford investment’

On the pitch, the Red Devils are also continuing to struggle this season, as they currently sit 14th in the Premier League table.

Those struggles, which have led to them missing out on qualification for the Champions League, will only put more pressure on the club from a financial perspective.

Manager Ruben Amorim has therefore suggested that the Man United squad are at fault for those job cuts due to their own poor performances.

Brazil meanwhile, has been left wondering what Ratcliffe will make of his decision to get involved with the club he supports, given the difficult decisions he has subsequently had to make.

Speaking on talkSPORT, journalist Alex Crook stated that the main reason for the financial issues at Old Trafford, is the debt and interest rates saddled on the club by the Glazers.

In response to that, former Man United and Scotland striker Brazil said: “I just wonder what the owner, or Sir Jim, I wonder what he’s thinking now, you know should I have bought into this?

“This must be a nightmare for him, especially if he is a big fan and loves the club, he must have some hurt going on at the moment.”

Man United investment proving tough for Jim Ratcliffe

Football Insider Verdict

When he took control of his stake in the club, Ratcliffe will have hoped to become a hero at Old Trafford by returning the club to its former glory.

As a supporter of Man United himself, doing so would likely have been something of a dream come true for the INEOS owner.

Instead, the cost-cutting measures he is taking and the struggles Amorim’s side are enduring on the pitch have led to a lot of scrutiny being placed on Ratcliffe by fans of his own club.

It also appears as though Ratcliffe may need a long time to rectify the perilous financial situation at Man United, which may prove costly for him.

Such a position is unlikely to be one that anybody would want to be in, and so it would not be a huge surprise if the INEOS owner does have some regrets about his decision to invest at Old Trafford.