A vision of United’s future? Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plan on how he would have ran Chelsea gives a glimpse to what Red Devils fans could expect after sealing a £1.3bn deal – insisting he WOULDN’T be in it for profit and would compete with Europe’s finest clubs

Sir Jim Ratcliffe may have already hinted at what Man United fans can expect after completing the purchase of 25 percent of the club, after outlining how he would run a football club when he tried to buy Chelsea last year.

On Christmas Eve, Man United confirmed that billionaire owner Ineos had acquired a stake in the Red Devils after striking a deal with the Glazer family.

The deal will see Ratcliffe take control of football operations at Old Trafford.

“As a local boy and lifelong supporter, I am very pleased that we have been able to reach a deal with the Manchester United board to delegate management responsibility for the club's football operations,” said Ratcliffe.

'While the club's commercial success has ensured that funds are always available to win trophies at the highest level, this potential has not been fully realized in recent times.

Ratcliffe submitted a bid for Chelsea in May 2022, but was defeated by American Todd Boehly

'We will bring the global knowledge, expertise and talent of the wider INEOS Sport group to drive further improvements at the club, while also providing funds intended to enable future investment in Old Trafford.

“We are here for the long haul and recognize that there are still many challenges and hard work ahead, which we will tackle with rigor, professionalism and passion.”

And United fans have already been given an insight into how Ratcliffe would run the club when he insisted he would not consider Chelsea a 'financial asset' when looking to take over the Blues.

Ratcliffe said: 'No, we are not interested in making money from Chelsea. Can we run that club really well and make it one of the best clubs in Europe? That is our ambition with Chelsea.

'We make a lot of money with chemicals, we don't need to make money with (Chelsea). We don't consider it a financial asset.'

Ratcliffe, who has an estimated net worth of £12 billion, initially wanted to take over Man United outright before opting to pursue a minority stake.

Ratcliffe's comments on buying Chelsea provide insight into how he could manage Man United

The Glazer family will remain the majority shareholders of Man United after the deal

Ratcliffe already has experience at the helm of a top football club, with Team Ineos completing its €100m (£85m) takeover of OGC Nice in 2019.

The French side have made steady progress under Ratcliffe's ownership, with the Ligue 1 side currently sitting second behind champions PSG.

The English businessman also proved he has an eye for talent after securing the services of manager Christophe Galtier just a year before the Frenchman was snapped up by PSG.

The 71-year-old attempted to buy Chelsea last year but saw his late bid rejected when current owner Todd Boehly and his consortium took ownership of the London club.

Ratcliffe made a last-minute £4.25 billion bid to buy Stamford Bridge in May 2022, before setting his sights on becoming Manchester United owner.

United fans have already been given an insight into how Ratcliffe would run the club

Ratcliffe proved his eye for talent by snapping up Christophe Galtier before moving to PSG

Under the current ownership model at the club, the majority of control lies with the Glazer family, with Avram and Joel Glazer as the main representatives.

They bought the club in 2005, and despite receiving widespread criticism since taking over, have recently felt growing discontent after being publicly criticized by supporters, pundits and former players, with the club in disarray following years of poor management and recruitment.

Although they had no intention of walking away completely, the Glazers were prepared to sell minority shares in Old Trafford.