Andy Cole doubts that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have enough influence to turn around Manchester United.
The British businessman is set to take a 25% stake in the club, and he hopes to take outsized control of football operations, with reports that he has questions over the current transfer strategy at Old Trafford.
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, United have won neither the Champions League nor the Premier League, and a string of managers of different styles have struggled under the Glazer family, with heavy financial backing coming at times, and parsimonious efforts at other times.
Speaking to Betfred, former Manchester United striker Cole asked: “Will a 25% ownership from Sir Jim Ratcliffe get Manchester United back to where they’re supposed to be? We need to wait and see. What can Sir Jim influence with 25% ownership? Will more money be spent on transfers? Can the stadium be redeveloped? Nobody knows.
“Do you believe that a Manchester United fan is going to be delighted that Sir Jim could be coming into the club with a 25% share? I don’t think they would be excited because so many other things have to be done at the club first.
“Manchester United need to be competing at a higher level than they are doing currently, so does a 25% share mean that they’re going to go back to the very top? I’m not quite sure that it does.”