Sir Jim Ratcliffe interview: Man Utd co-owner says some players are 'not good enough' and 'overpaid'

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, stated that some players in the team are "not good enough" and others are "overpaid." His frank assessment has drawn widespread attention and reflects the challenges the club currently faces.

In an interview with BBC Sport, Ratcliffe singled out players such as Casemiro, Rasmus Højlund, André Onana, as well as Antony and Jadon Sancho (currently on loan to other clubs), calling them players he "inherited" after taking over. The billionaire's remarks undoubtedly cast a shadow over the future of these players.

A lifelong Manchester United fan, Ratcliffe is the chairman of the petrochemical company Ineos, which has a strong track record in sports investment. Last year, he spent £1.3 billion to acquire a 28.94% stake in the club and gained control of football operations. This move is seen as a crucial step in revitalizing Manchester United's former glory.

In a wide-ranging interview, Ratcliffe spoke about the team's recent struggles on the pitch—they are currently 14th in the Premier League standings—and reiterated his commitment to winning a trophy by 2028. He also addressed the club's financial woes, stating that it would run out of money by the end of the year if he didn't take measures he acknowledged were "unpopular." These candid comments reveal the serious challenges facing Manchester United internally.

Ratcliffe lamented that the club still owes money for players signed before he took over, citing Sancho as an example, with £17 million still to be paid this summer. "Look at the players we've bought in the summer, we didn't buy, we bought Antony, we bought Casemiro, we bought Onana, we bought Hojlund, we bought Sancho. These are all things that have gone on in the past, and whether we like it or not, we inherit those things, and we have to deal with them."

"For Sancho, who is now playing for Chelsea, we pay half his wages, and we will pay £17 million to buy him in the summer." Brazilian winger Antony has struggled at Old Trafford since his £81.5 million move from Ajax and is now also on loan at Spanish club Real Betis. Casemiro joined for £70 million in 2022, while Danish forward Højlund joined for £72 million the following year. Cameroonian international Onana also joined the club in the same summer for a transfer fee of £47.2 million. All of these players have faced criticism during their time at the club.

"We need time to move from the past to a new place in the future," Ratcliffe said. When asked if he was implying that these players were not good enough, he said: "Some aren't good enough, some are possibly overpaid, but we need time to shape a team that we are fully responsible for and accountable for."

"We are in a transition period, moving from the past to the future. As we know, there are many great players in the team, and the captain is an excellent footballer. We definitely need Bruno; he is a fantastic footballer."

Ratcliffe also spoke about the team's head coach, Ruben Amorim, and gave him his strong support. He stated that "a long list of injuries" has hindered a coach who arrived in a difficult league in the middle of the season and whose second language is English. Despite the team's lackluster performance in the league, Ratcliffe is confident in Amorim's abilities and believes he is doing his best.

"If I look at the squad that Ruben has available, I think he's doing a pretty good job, to be honest," Ratcliffe said. "I think Ruben is an outstanding young coach. I really do. He's a good coach, and I think he'll be there for a long time."

Ratcliffe also praised Amorim for trying to put his stamp on the team—England forward Rashford was loaned to Aston Villa because it was clear he was not in the new head coach's plans. "He's an emotional person, like most great coaches. Ruben isn't perfect, but I'm very supportive of Ruben," he said.

"He wants a dressing room full of people who are totally committed to winning football matches. He won't tolerate people who don't have that attitude 100%. The players have to be in the same box." Ratcliffe added that he was "happy" to see Rashford performing well at Villa. "He's away from Manchester, and maybe that's a good thing for him," Ratcliffe said. "I'm happy he's performing well. It's good to see because he's got enormous talent, but for whatever reason, he hasn't been performing well in Manchester for the last few seasons. But he's a very talented footballer, Rashford."

Ratcliffe also indicated that players like Rashford leaving permanently in the summer could help Amorim, who will have money to spend in the summer—despite the club's financial problems. "Obviously, that budget will vary depending on who we might choose to sell, because that will supplement the budget," he said.

He also emphasized that young talents like midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and winger Alejandro Garnacho would not be sold simply to bring in funds. "No, no. We're not going to sell players because of our financial situation," he said.

"The club has become bloated, so we're reducing that and will do it with a streamlined and efficient organization. That's how we'll deal with the cost issue. The player decisions will all be focused on how we improve performance. That's all."

When Ratcliffe and Ineos joined the management of Old Trafford, many fans welcomed the arrival of a fan and billionaire who had supported the team since childhood to help restore the club's former glory. However, a year has passed, and relations with some fans have deteriorated.

Ratcliffe admitted that he knew there would be challenges entering the club, "but the scale of it is probably a bit bigger than I expected." "I have to say, I don't enjoy reading the newspapers much these days," he added. "I know it's unpopular, and this period of change is uncomfortable for people, and some of the decisions we have to make are unpleasant. But they are necessary, чтобы get Manchester United back on a stable footing. If people want to see Manchester United win trophies again, then we have to do all these things."

"I accept that I'm unpopular now—but I'm ready, I can endure a period of unpopularity because I believe what we're doing is the right thing." "Manchester United has gone off the rails—we need to get it back on track, and I believe what we're doing will get it back on track, and we'll eventually get to the level of Liverpool or Real Madrid today."

"When the going gets tough, people need to show a bit of resilience, a bit of perseverance—don't back down—and fight out the other side, and that's what we're going to do."

He also revealed the severity of the club's financial situation: "Manchester United will run out of cash at the end of this year—the end of 2025—after I put $300 million (£232.72 million) in, if we don't buy new players in the summer."

"We're in a process of change, it's an uncomfortable period, and it's disruptive, and I have sympathy for the fans." "The simple answer is, if we don't do these things, the club will run out of money by Christmas." He said costs have risen, and the club has spent more than it has earned for seven seasons in a row.

"If you spend more than you earn, eventually that's the road to ruin," he said. Ratcliffe was advised that the club's level of debt and paying it off—£37 million in interest was paid in the past financial year—was a more pressing issue for fans. "Interest is one of the costs, but it's not the biggest cost at this club," he said.

"The club needs to get its own house in order so that it has a good financial foundation for the future." "Most clubs in the UK—most companies—have some form of debt. But if the club is really profitable, and I think it will be profitable in the next few years, then you can do the opposite. You can start paying off the debt. That's what I think Manchester United should be aiming for."

"Ultimately, if you look at running a club the size of Manchester United, with revenue of around £650 million, you're going to use a portion of that £650 million to run the club and a portion of it on the team." "Where do you want to spend the money? Do you want to spend it on running the club, or do you want to spend it on the team? Because if you spend it on the team, you'll get better results. At the end of the day, if Manchester United isn't here to win trophies and silverware, what is it here for? What we want to do is invest in the best players in the world, if we can, rather than spend it on, I'm afraid, a free lunch."

"My only interest here is to get Manchester United back to greatness." He also stated that Ineos' financial pressures, which led to the termination of a sponsorship agreement with the New Zealand All Blacks, would not affect Manchester United.

However, Ratcliffe admitted that not all decisions made have been correct. "We're not perfect, we're on a journey, and there have been some mistakes along the way, but I think overall, everything we've done is the right thing for the club," he said.

One of those mistakes was hiring sporting director Dan Ashworth—who left the position after just five months. Ratcliffe said the "chemistry" wasn't right, leading to his departure. Backing Ten Hag in the summer, only for the Dutch coach to leave months later, he admitted was another mistake—the club spent around £20 million compensating Ten Hag and his team before bringing in Amorim.

"I agree that the decisions about Erik ten Hag and Dan Ashworth were wrong. I think there were some mitigating circumstances, but ultimately they were wrong. I accept that, and I apologize for that." "If you look at when we made the decision about Erik, the management team had been in place for no more than five minutes," he explained, adding that it was difficult to judge the Dutchman's performance under the previous regime.

"It became clearer after three months that we got it wrong, but we've moved on. I think we've corrected it, and we're in a very different place today," he added. Ratcliffe believes that these changes, along with operational changes, will help the club move forward and reiterated his goal of winning the Premier League by 2028—the club's 150th anniversary.

"I don't think it's an impossible task. I think it's good to have goals and purposes," Ratcliffe said. "If you look at Arsenal, if you look at Liverpool, if you look at how long it took them to get their house in order and get back on the winning track, it's probably slightly less than the short end of the spectrum. But it's not impossible."

The club is also preparing to announce a plan that could see "the world's most iconic football stadium" being built to replace the existing stadium as part of a wider redevelopment plan. An announcement is expected on Tuesday.

"In my opinion, the club will be in a very different place in three years than it is today," Ratcliffe added. "I think it will be the most profitable club in the world. I think we're very likely to end up with the most iconic football stadium in the world, and I think we'll finally be winning trophies again."

Another area of criticism Ratcliffe has faced during his tenure is how much support the Old Trafford management has given to the women's team. So what does he think of this criticism? "It's a bit unfair," Ratcliffe said.

"What I said at the beginning was that my main focus was on the men's team because, at the end of the day, that's what drives Manchester United forward. The women's team is much smaller than the men's team." "Of our £650 million in revenue, £640 million comes from the men's team and £10 million from the women's team. With my business background, you tend to focus on the bigger issues first and then the smaller issues."

"But the women's team wears the Manchester United brand, the Manchester United logo, so in that sense, they're just as important as the men's team. Frankly, they're doing better than the men's team—they're second in the league and won the FA Cup last season. Marc Skinner is doing a good job as coach, and the new captain, Maya [Le Tissier], is doing a good job."

When asked if he wanted to clarify the reports about Zelem, he replied: "No, not really. I did ask Maya if she was related to Matt [Le Tissier], but the answer was no."