Captain of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Nice hits out the British billionaire’s running of the French club

Nice captain Dante has issued a warning to Manchester United after publicly criticizing the hierarchy at the club, which is owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The British billionaire, whose company INEOS took over Nice since 2019, is currently bidding alongside Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim for control of Man United, with Ratcliffe believed to be at the helm.

His arrival would likely be welcomed by many Red Devils fans after years of dissatisfaction with the current owners, but the Eaglets’ current position under Ratcliffe could be a cautionary tale.

They have had five managers in four seasons and are currently ninth in Ligue 1 after a turbulent campaign.

Club captain Dante has now struck out about Ratcliffe’s lack of coherence and the hierarchy at Nice as he told l’Equipe: “I think at some point you have to be clear in what you say.

The British billionaire is currently making a bid for control of Manchester United

“To keep a project going, you may need to talk less about objectives and work in silence to create an environment of competition. Because the expectation is even greater, and after that people are frustrated.

“The best thing is to prepare for next season as soon as possible to get off to a good start.”

Ratcliffe wanted to make Nice a side that could challenge Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance in France, but that has not been the case so far.

Lucien Favre brought in some big names at the start of the season, including Aaron Ramsey, Kasper Schmeichel and Ross Barkley, but the manager was sacked in January after Nice were knocked out of the Coupe de France by a third division side.

“Remember how many players came in at the end of the transfer window last summer?” continued Dante. Six left, six arrived. It’s hard in these circumstances. We just shouldn’t make the same mistakes.’

“If anyone wants my opinion, the sooner we get organized the better. If we want to aim higher, we must anticipate and set the values ​​of the organization.

Ratcliffe (left) is believed to be at the wheel, but faces competition from Qatari Sheikh Jassim (right)

Nice has struggled under the Briton’s ownership this season and are ninth in Ligue 1

Then the trainer [Lucien Favre] we said that in two years we would always play in the Champions League. That’s not how it works. Ligue 1 is very difficult.

“We lost 10 players, 10 arrived. The teams in the semi-finals of major leagues play together for three or four years. Last summer we changed everything. There is a lack of consistency somewhere. I’m sorry to say that.’

The apparent lack of strategy at Nice could be a source of concern for United fans who hoped a takeover could improve their poor transfer record of recent years.

Perhaps of greater concern is the protracted nature of the sale, which has now lasted nearly five months with no clear end point.

Ratcliffe’s offer would be close to £6bn as he will buy out four of Glazer’s siblings – Brian, Edward, Darcie and Kevin – leaving Joel and Avram with a 20 per cent stake that will see them involved for another four years to stay.

Qatari’s bid is said to be about £1bn lower and aims for full control of the club.

Current owners Joel and Avram Glazer have been criticized for slow sales of the club

Despite the uncertainty off the field, Manchester United can still finish the season with two trophies and a place in the Champions League

While the Glazers may prefer the deal that keeps them engaged, Ratcliffe risks alienating fans hoping for a clean break with unpopular owners.

Their off-field actions aside, Untied still have a chance to finish the season on a high as they aim to qualify for the Champions League and take home a second trophy of the season.

They are currently three points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand, and will meet Manchester City in the FA Cup final next month.

Erik ten Hag’s team will play against struggling Chelsea on Thursday, before meeting Fulham at Old Trafford on the last day of the Premier League season.