The Frenchman spent time in charge of Ineos-owned Nice (Pictures: Getty)
Patrick Vieira has praised incoming Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and has suggested Erik ten Hag will enjoy working under the Ineos founder.
After a bidding process that has lasted for the best part of a year, Ratcliffe appears to have finally ended an impasse in talks with the Glazer family by offering to buy a 25 per cent stake for a fee in the region of £1.3billion.
As part of the arrangement, Ratcliffe will take control of sporting affairs with the Glazers taking a back seat after 18 years at the helm.
He has already identified a number of issues that need addressing on and off the pitch, with the expansion and improvement of Old Trafford an immediate priority.
A number of new faces could also be appointed, with former Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell the leading candidate to overhaul recruitment.
Ten Hag has played a prominent role in United’s transfer business since his appointment – with the likes of Sofyan Amrabat, Antony, Wout Weghorst and Tyrell Malacia all signed at his request – and he could see his influence diminish in this respect.
But around the training ground he should have nothing to worry about, with former Nice boss Vieira – who spent just over a year working under Ineos following their takeover – revealing that Ratcliffe does not interfere with the playing side of the operation.
Ratcliffe’s Ineos acquired Nice in July 2019 (Picture: Getty)
‘He’d never interfere with my work,’ Vieira told FourFourTwo when asked about his relationship with Ratcliffe.
‘We’d talk about football when we met, about the team and our lives, but he’s not an owner who will get involved too much and prevent the manager from doing his job.
‘His ambitions and expectations are high, so you know where you stand, but you can do your job freely.’
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Vieira still has a high opinion of Ratcliffe despite being sacked in December 2020 after a run of five straight losses across all competitions.
Nice are currently managed by Francesco Farioli and are second in Ligue 1 after an excellent start to the season, with the club unbeaten through the first eight matches of the campaign and one point ahead of big spending PSG.
In addition to making his own hires in the recruitment department at United, Ratcliffe could also hand former head of British Cycling Sir Dave Brailsford and ex-PSG chief Jean-Claude Blanc – both of whom are part of the current Ineos sporting setup – prominent roles behind the scenes.
MORE : Sir Jim Ratcliffe decides first priority after taking over reins at Manchester United
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