Kieran Maguire says new £10m Ineos plan is a 'shame' for genuine Man United fans

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has not been shy about making controversial decisions since taking charge at Manchester United.

It has been nearly two years since Sir Jim Ratcliffe struck a £1.25bn takeover deal for a minority stake in Manchester United, and the British billionaire has certainly split opinion at Old Trafford.

From cutting over 250 jobs at the club, to raising ticket prices for fans, Ratcliffe has made fiscal decisions that have left the fanbase seething.

In an interview with Gary Neville, Ratcliffe claimed United were going bust by the end of 2025 if not for Ineos investment. A £50m investment in Carrington was followed by a summer transfer spend of £230m on five new arrivals.

To help balance the books at United, Ineos have launched Project 90, and it seems part of that includes a controversial trip to Saudi Arabia.

Kieran Maguire on Man United’s mid-season friendlies

At the start of the month it was revealed that United are considering mid-season friendlies this season to help raise funds.

According to Laurie Whitwell, one option on the table is a trip to Saudi Arabia, where United could take part in a two-match friendly tournament.

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While Amorim has accepted mid-season friendlies as a necessity, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has spoken exclusively to United in Focus and explained that it is a real “shame” for the club’s supporters.

“They should be able to generate £5million a match if it’s in Saudi Arabia, but I think it shows the mentality of Ineos prioritising finance over football,” Maguire said.

“It’s not necessarily going to improve things because preparing for a friendly will have an impact on drills and training. It will be a distraction.

“The Cristiano Ronaldo factor will be significant. We’ve seen Manchester United care close to zero about player welfare if you take a look at last season when they flew to Asia just 24 hours after the final Premier League match to make money for Ineos.

“That appears to be the psyche of the club, it’s very much a billionaire’s plaything and it’s a football club second, which is a shame for all genuine Manchester United fans.”

Mid-season friendly could halt Man United momentum

After a mixed start to the season, Amorim has now won three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time as United boss.

Ineos are eager to raise funds and clearly a mid-season trip would help to balance the books, but it could have a hugely detrimental effect.

READ MORE: Man United fighting £550m PSR threat as Ineos join in-person showdown talks

The mood in pre-season was incredible when the squad travelled to the United States, so there is a chance it could improve team bonding and morale. But on the flip side, it threatens to derail the season by halting momentum and risking unnecessary workload injuries.

The Africa Cup of Nations is already going to take a toll over the winter with Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui set to compete, and now a trip to the Middle East will be wedged into Amorim’s schedule.

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