- Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment in Man United could be confirmed this week
- The INEOS CEO could recommend job cuts once the deal is confirmed
- REVEALED on It all starts: Man United's January transfer window plans… and what impact Sir Jim Ratcliffe's takeover will have on them
Sir Jim Ratcliffe will recommend job cuts and efficiency cuts at Manchester United after completing his planned purchase of 25 percent of the club.
Mail Sport has learned that after examining INEOS' due diligence prior to formalizing their £1.25 billion investment offer, Ratcliffe has concluded that United are overstaffed in several areas and that some departments would benefit during a restructuring.
United have by far the largest staff of any club in the Premier League, with more than 1,100 employees on the payroll at Old Trafford.
That number is significantly higher than any of their Big Six rivals, with Liverpool having around 900 employees, Tottenham 750, Manchester City 720 and Arsenal 700.
United has expanded its workforce significantly in recent years, increasing its workforce from about 800 to 1,112 this year.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe will recommend job cuts and efficiency cuts at Man United after completing his £1.25m investment in the football club
The Red Devils currently have the most staff on the payroll of any club in the Premier League
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It is believed that much of the increase is due to major investment in the commercial and digital areas of the business, with some at Old Trafford privately admitting they are overstaffed in certain areas.
A strong commercial team helped United generate a record Premier League turnover of £648.4 million in October, although that was surpassed by City's turnover of £712.8 million the following month.
Although City's workforce is significantly smaller than United's, the multi-club ownership model allows them to share many functions with other clubs and parent company City Football Group, which has 1,229 employees worldwide.
As a multinational giant that generates an annual turnover of more than £50 billion, INEOS has 25,000 employees worldwide, but their sports division has a relatively small number of employees and is known throughout the industry as a lean business.
It is believed that Ratcliffe is advocating a similar approach at United, not just to cut costs, but because of the belief that fewer numbers can bring about a greater level of accountability and greater clarity of purpose.
While the precise nature of Ratcliffe's responsibility for governance and personnel issues at United is yet to be determined, INEOS' 25 share will give them a powerful voice.
The petrochemical company is also expected to get at least two seats on United's board of directors, which will formalize their influence.
Ratcliffe has done his due diligence and has concluded that the club is overstaffed in certain departments
His deal to acquire a 25 percent stake in the club could go through in the coming week, with his 25 percent stake giving him a powerful voice alongside the Glazer family in the boardroom.
Ratcliffe will mainly focus on United's football department and has already decided to appoint a new sporting director, with Newcastle's Dan Ashworth seen as the main candidate.
In other planned changes previously reported by Mail Sport, Ratcliffe will also overhaul United's medical department and encourage recruitment staff to pay more attention to signing British players.
After almost 12 months of talks, negotiations over Ratcliffe's investment are in the final stages, but will take another eight weeks to be ratified by the Premier League once completed.
Ineos and United declined to comment.