Man Utd: Ratcliffe’s timeline for Premier League glory revealed as off-record conversation leaked
Man Utd are aiming to win the Premier League title within the next five years following the arrival of new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
That’s according to former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan, who has revealed the details of an off-the-record conversation with former Man Utd executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
Ratcliffe’s acquisition of a 27.7 per cent stake in Man Utd was completed last month, with the INEOS founder assuming control of all football operations within Old Trafford.
The 71-year-old’s arrival comes after an unhappy spell under fellow co-owners the Glaser family, with Man Utd failing to win the Premier League since legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Appearing on talkSPORT, Jordan detailed a conversation he had with Woodward following the latter’s departure from the club in February 2022 in which the former Man Utd chief revealed Man Utd aim to return to the top of the Premier League within five years.
He said: “I had this soppy conversation, off-the-record briefing from Ed Woodward that I don’t know why we had to be party to.
“He wanted to have a conversation with me and Jim [White, talkSPORT host], tell us what he thought on his way out the door, and I asked him: ‘Are United going to be in a better situation and when do you see them winning the league again?’
“His argument was: ‘We’ll win it in five years, within five years.'”
With current incumbent Erik ten Hag fighting for his future, Man Utd could appoint their sixth permanent manager in 11 years in the summer as Ratcliffe seeks to make his presence felt, having already lured new chief executive Omar Berrada in a major coup from local rivals Manchester City.
Jordan’s fellow pundit, Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, believes Man Utd could re-emerge as a major force in just two years if the right decisions are made at the top of the club.
He explained: “Financial Fair Play will come into play. I know they are a cash cow and I know their numbers are enormous.
“Given that you have two opportunities a year to improve your lot, will it take [as many as] six transfer windows?
“Assuming they get everything right, four transfer windows [and] two years [should be enough].
“If all the luck is going [United’s way] and every signing works out for them, you’re talking about four transfer windows, two or three players [signed] in each window.
“And then the momentum will get going, because they’re United.
“I think it’s a couple of years. Two transfer windows a year? It’s a couple of years – if they get absolutely everything right.”
Turning to Jordan, Souness then asked if Man Utd could follow Chelsea’s template and spend more than £1billion within two years to spark a change of fortunes.
“No, I don’t think so,” Jordan replied.
“I don’t think they’d have the motivation to do such. The only way they’d spend that kind of dough is if they shipped a lot of players out and got a lot of income coming back in.”
Souness responded by claiming that Ratcliffe’s status as a successful businessman will ensure he wants quick action, with the 71-year-old – who also has shareholdings in French club Nice and Swiss side Lausanne-Sport as well as teams in cycling, sailing and Formula 1 – known to be fiercely ambitious.
He said: “I know Jim Ratcliffe is talking about long term, long term. That’s putting a bit of an insurance policy down. He’ll want it yesterday.
“This is a man who’s super rich, he wants everything yesterday. He’s used to getting his way. He is now the face of Man United.
“For him, he’s used to getting his own way. He won’t have a 10-year plan.”
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