Man United can look forward to better times ahead with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, claims Mercedes chief Toto Wolff… as he insists the billionaire – who is a part owner of the F1 team – ‘cuts out the bulls***’ and has his ‘heart in the right place’

• Sir Jim Ratcliffe agreed a deal to take a 25 per cent stake in Man United last week
• The British petrochemicals billionaire also owns a third of the Mercedes F1 team 
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has claimed Manchester United fans can look forward to better times ahead with no ‘bulls***’ under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.    

British petrochemicals billionaire Ratcliffe, a lifelong United fan, is set to pay £1.4billion to purchase a 25 per cent stake in the club from the Glazer family after a long-winded sale process that began last November. 

Ratcliffe and Qatari royal Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani were the front-runners in the bidding war and both parties submitted multiple offers, before Jassim withdrew from the process last week.  

The head of INEOS – who is expected to take control of football matters at Old Trafford – has a sporting empire which encompasses cycling, rugby and sailing along with two football teams in French side Nice and Swiss outfit Lausanne-Sport, while he also owns a third of F1 team Mercedes.

And Wolff, who is Mercedes’ team principal and CEO, heaped praise on Ratcliffe and backed him for success with his boyhood club.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to pay £1.4billion to purchase a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United 

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff (right) backed Ratcliffe (left) for success at his boyhood club

‘Jim and his partners, they are first of all complementary,’ he said ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

‘They are huge in terms of profit and decisions being made very quickly, three bullet points on a page and here we go.

‘With Jim, all the bulls*** is cut out and I think that wherever he gets his power and resource and character behind it I think that’s going to be an add on for any team.’

He continued: ‘He’s a Manchester boy. He has the resources that are needed, the heart in the right place for this team and I’m sure that he can be very creative for Manchester United.

‘With us he’s been a fantastic shareholder and a good sounding board for myself.’

While Ratcliffe hopes to complete a full takeover one day, for United fans it will at least take some control away from the hugely unpopular Glazers.

The American family have have been a source of contention at Old Trafford ever since they became majority owners in 2005, facing significant fan anger and backlash. 

After taking over the club through a leveraged buyout which placed £525m worth of loans onto the brand of United, they have racked up the club’s debts to £536m.

Ratcliffe owns a third of Mercedes and Wolff said United can look forward to better times ahead with ‘no bulls***’ with the British petrochemicals billionaire at the helm at Old Trafford 

United’s hugely unpopular American owners have drained more than £1bn out of the club since their leveraged takeover in 2005 (pictured – Avram Glazer (left) and Joel Glazer (right)

Overall, they have taken more than £1bn out of United in the form of dividends, interests, costs and fees during their 18-year-reign, which has been dominated by a decline in on-pitch performance and success. 

However, Mail Sport  revealed on Thursday how Ratcliffe’s deal may not be completed in time for the opening of the January transfer window.

It had been hoped that the investment, of around £1.4billion, would be ratified at a board meeting on Thursday afternoon.

However, lawyers are continuing to work on the finer details of what is a complex agreement, and insiders have warned that a final agreement could take ‘weeks’.

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