Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has admitted that some players at the club are “not good enough” while others are “overpaid.”
In an interview with BBC Sport, the billionaire specifically mentioned midfielder Casemiro, striker Rasmus Hojlund, goalkeeper Andre Onana, and wingers Antony and Jadon Sancho—who is currently on loan—as players his regime had “inherited.”
Ratcliffe, a lifelong Manchester United fan, is the chairman of petrochemicals giant Ineos, which has a strong presence in sports investment. In 2023, he acquired a 28.94% stake in the club for £1.3 billion, a deal that also gave Ineos control over football operations.
Addressing United’s struggles—currently sitting 14th in the Premier League—Ratcliffe reiterated his commitment to securing silverware by 2028.
Speaking a day after fans protested against the club’s ownership, he also highlighted its financial difficulties, revealing that, without intervention, Manchester United was on track to run out of money by the end of the year. He acknowledged that some of the necessary financial decisions would be “unpopular.”
Ratcliffe also spoke about:
Marcus Rashford’s departure from the club on loan to Aston Villa
How backing then sacking ex-manager Erik ten Hag – and hiring sporting director Dan Ashworth, who left after five months – were “errors”
How he believes the club had “come off the rails”
How he believes head coach Ruben Amorim will be at the club for “a long time”
How he plans to make Manchester United “the most profitable club in the world”
Plans to deliver a new world-class stadium
His challenging first year at the club
His sympathy with fans for some of the changes he felt needed to be made
And how he felt criticism over a perceived lack of support for the women’s team was “unfair”