Manchester United are in the middle of a confusing and frustrating situation. On one hand, there is uncertainty regarding the new ownership of the club. With Sheikh Jassim out of the picture, only Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains with an improvised bid.
On the other hand, the club is desperately failing on the pitch, being only 8th in the Premier League table. With the on-pitch troubles, many have pointed out the mistakes in Erik ten Hag’s management. And now there is a rumor that connects the two ongoing problems.
Is Graham Potter linked with a move to Manchester United?
Graham Potter is memorably known as the previous manager of Chelsea and Brighton in the Premier League. Despite so much transfer money bestowed on him, the British manager failed at Chelsea and couldn’t qualify for Europe with them. He was sacked before the last season ended and has been without a job since.
Defending Serie A champions Napoli are in talks to bring in Potter to the club. However, he could also become the new manager of Manchester United. This sounds shocking but it could be possible if Sir Jim Ratcliffe sees his ownership bid accepted.
Ratcliffe’s second man in charge is Sir Dave Brailsford, a renowned cyclist and performance coach who has worked at many of the former’s sporting teams. He could be the one to handle Manchester United under Ratcliffe. He is reportedly a fan of Potter and pursued him several times, especially for French club Nice.
However, it might not happen for a number of reasons. First, the fans would riot considering that Potter has already proved to be a flop at Chelsea, even with huge investment. Second, while Ten Hag is not having a good time, it is important to note there is an injury crisis happening right now.
While Ten Hag no doubt has had a bad season, it was actually previously reported that if the new ownership does happen, the Dutchman could stay.
Why is Sir Jim Ratcliffeâs Man Utd takeover delayed?
After Sheikh Jassim pulled out of the takeover bid due to the Glazer’s crazy demands, only Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains. His deal is unique as he will buy only 25% of the team, meaning he will be a minority owner. However, he will have all the decisions on the sporting matters through a special clause. He could also gradually complete a full takeover of the club.
The board was supposed to meet on Thursday to vote on the deal, after which it could have been ratified and accepted. But it seems to be delayed for many reasons.
Sir Jim could fund a redevelopment of the iconic Old Trafford stadium which is a source of technical troubles in the deal. As he would fund it, he wants to gain more shares in the future, further strengthening his position. However, the other shareholders including the Glazer family want to stay and this is halting the talks until more details can be smoothened out.
It remains to be seen what else develops in the takeover situation, while Manchester United on the pitch will face Copenhagen in their Champions League group stage on Wednesday. Will they finally be able to secure a win in the UCL? Make sure to let us know in the comments section.
