Man United face Tottenham payout after Sky reveal – ‘this is terrible’
Tottenham have taken legal action against Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS company after they pulled out of a multi-year sponsorship deal with the London club.
Court records show Spurs filed a commercial claim last week (12 June) after INEOS exited the sponsorship deal three years into a five-year agreement.
However, INEOS told Sky Sports News (13 June) that “we have a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right.”
The move comes after INEOS reached a settlement with New Zealand Rugby in March after sponsorship dues were not paid earlier in 2025.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has claimed the dispute is a “terrible look” for Ratcliffe, who has faced criticism since taking control of football operations at Man United.
‘My money is on Tottenham’ in INEOS legal fight, says Wyness
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness suggested he expects Tottenham to come out on top in any ensuing legal fight.
The INEOS Grenadier car became Spurs’ official 4×4 vehicle partner in a five-year deal agreed before Ratcliffe bought his stake in Premier League rivals Man United.
Wyness accused Ratcliffe and INEOS of “trying to play hardball everywhere” since coming in at Old Trafford, leaving a “bad taste”.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think it’s a terrible look.
“Of course, on the legal side, INEOS will claim they had the right to pull out of the agreement, but I don’t know if that would be the case.
“I’d be surprised, given all the sponsorship contracts I’ve seen over the years, I’d be surprised if there was a right for unilateral withdrawal from any sponsor. However, I haven’t seen the documents, so I can’t say definitively.
“There is history here, because we’ve got the All Blacks that INEOS were involved in that was a problem. The sailing team ended in tears with Ben Ainslie.
“There’s a bit of a track record here that would point to INEOS perhaps not behaving in the best possible way. This is something that has always been a black mark against Jim Ratcliffe since he’s come in.
The cycling teams had big issues as well at INEOS. But it just shows a disregard for the way that things are happening I think at United.
“That has left a bad taste when it didn’t need to have happened. There’s a lot of decisions that could have been done with experience, that a few words behind the scenes could have solved, rather than making big political situations happen.
“The way that the backroom staff at United have been handled, lots of issues that I think could have been avoided. That’s the way INEOS have tried to do it. They’ve tried to play hardball everywhere.
“My money right now would probably be on Spurs if it comes to a legal fight. So we’ll see how it goes. But it’s not a good look.
“There’s just no need for this sort of thing. It could have been resolved in a much better way and should have been.”
Man United set stance on £85m Ekitike swoop
Meanwhile, Football Insider has revealed (17 June) that Man United are unlikely to pursue a summer deal for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
| Appearances (Starts) | 48 (43) |
| Minutes Played | 3644 |
| Goals | 22 |
| Assists | 12 |
| Yellow Cards | 3 |
Frankfurt want close to £85million for the France Under-21 international – and the Red Devils cannot afford a deal at that price.
The German outfit are not in a position where they must sell Ekitike this summer and therefore are able to hold out for that figure.
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