The Athletic - Man Utd minority owner Ratcliffe now exploring sale of one of his clubs in big boost for Red Devils

Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is exploring the sale of Ligue 1 club OGC Nice, according to The Athletic.

The British billionaire owns the French side through his multinational conglomerate – INEOS – having bought it for €100 million from Chien Lee and Paul Conway in 2019.

Ratcliffe controls the football operations of Man United through his firm after securing a minority stake in February 2024, while Swiss club Lausanne also belongs to him.

It appears he wants to fully focus on the Red Devils and Lausanne and he has put up Nice for sale for €250m.

Getting that done will see Man United compete in the Champions League next season – if they win the Europa League this term – without any fears given that UEFA rules could prevent two clubs belonging to the same owner from competing in the same club competition.

The French club are currently sixth in the Ligue 1 table, four points behind second-placed Marseille ahead of the final three league games of 2024-25.

Both Man United and Nice qualified for the Europa League this term, but a temporary solution was found, with UEFA rules requiring a temporary arrangement which saw a “blind trust” operate the French team.

Cashing in on them will see INEOS focus attention on the Red Devils, and fans will be hoping head coach Ruben Amorim will be backed in the summer transfer window.

Man United need a major squad overhaul if they are to return to the pinnacle of English and European football anytime soon, and the onus is on Ratcliffe and his team to help turn around the fortunes of the club on the pitch.

The Red Devils are all but in the final of the Europa League after securing a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao away from home in the first-leg of the semi-finals last night, and they will fancy their chances against Tottenham Hotspur or Bodoe/Glimt in the final.

Article written by Alani .