Sir Jim Ratcliffe promised to get used to the rain in Manchester after his first trip to Old Trafford since his takeover was made public was met with heavy rain.
Before leaving, the wealthy businessman talked with executives at Old Trafford for two hours.
People greeted him and asked what he thought about the heavy rain. He laughed and said, “I’ll have to get used to it!”
Ratcliffe smiled as he walked through the main door, where a security guard holding an umbrella kept him dry in the rain.
The CEO of Ineos agreed on Christmas Eve to buy a 25% stake in the club and run the football business. He met with key United employees, such as interim CEO Patrick Stewart and Chief Operating Officer Collette Roche.
The group, which did not include any Glazer family members, had a working lunch and talked about their first ideas for how to help United do better on the field.
Until the deal is approved next month, Sir Jim and his Ineos team will not be able to help run United.
He has to first pass the Premier League’s “fit and proper person” test, and the New York Stock Exchange has to agree to let him buy Class-A shares.
But Ratcliffe’s team will keep meeting at United’s Carrington training base on Wednesday, and he may meet with Erik ten Hag, who is currently in charge of the team under fire.
Ratcliffe’s right-hand man, Sir Dave Brailsford, met Ten Hag at Carrington on Sunday. Brailsford is also the sports director at the chemical company Ineos.
Brailsford has also seen United’s last two games from the stands. Patrick Stewart, United’s acting CEO, and John Murtough, the football director, showed him around Carrington.
Jean-Claude Blanc, the CEO of Ineos, is likely to become United’s new CEO, and Brailsford could choose a new sports director.
In the new set-up, Stewart and Murtaugh are still likely to play parts, though.
Ten Hag’s future is still uncertain, though, as SunSport reported that Ratcliffe has lined up Graham Potter, the former manager of Chelsea, to take over.
United is seventh in the league, and they have only won once in their last five games.
But at the end of December, Ten Hag did say that he thought he would be given a chance now that United is owned by a different company.
He said, “They want to work with me, and I want to work with them. We’ll talk about it, meet, and see what happens.”
The Dutchman was recently seen with his family in Barcelona for the New Year.
But he plans to get back in time for important meetings with his new boss.
