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Manchester United faces elimination from the UEFA Europa League because of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ownership of French club Nice. The two teams are eligible for next season's tournament after United defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Nice secured their position by placing fifth in Ligue 1. However, Uefa's ownership regulations prohibit clubs with the exact same "decisive influence" from participating in the same competition. OGC Nice is now entirely owned by Ratcliffe's INEOS business, which paid £88.77 million for the company in 2019. Following a £1.3 billion agreement with the Glazers, the business now owns 27.7 percent of United.
Ineos now has until Monday, June 3, to persuade UEFA that Nice and United are able to participate in next season's Europa League. The Telegraph reported that an impartial panel will decide whether the satisfactory requirements have been reached.
The worst-case scenario, however, would see United relegated into the UEFA Europa Conference League after Nice finished higher in the league. Ratcliffe and INEOS will probably be hopeful that their 27.7% holding enables United to compete, given the Uefa threshold for breaking ownership regulations is 30%.
INEOS look to sign Everton defender as major signing for Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is poised to bring in Jarrad Branthwaite his very first Manchester United acquisition in a £40 million deal. The new Red Devils coach has a plan to begin his tenure with a bang. He is pursuing England Euro prospect Branthwaite before of the June 14 transfer window.
United want a minimum of one new centre-back during the summer, with Raphael Varane going and Jonny Evans’ exit imminent. West Ham is also interested in Harry Maguire, who is nearing the last year of his deal, and Lisandro Martinez is still recuperating from another significant injury. Branthwaite has developed as one of the Premier League's finest young defenders, and he is regarded as the sort of player capable of transforming United's fortunes on the pitch.