SIR JIM RATCLIFFE is ready to back Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United revival — but wants assurances he definitely wants to stay.
’s part-owner is keen to support his boss in the summer transfer market.
But ’s mixed messages have left Ratcliffe fearing the Portuguese could decide the rebuilding job is too much for him.
Amorim last week revealed he may be forced to step aside nearly seven months after succeeding sacked .
He said: “It’s a decisive moment in the history of the club. We need to be really strong in the summer and to be brave because we will not have a next season like this.“If we start like this, if the feeling is still here, we should give the space to different people.”;;
Yet in the build-up to Friday night’s , Amorim insisted that he would not be quitting.
SunSport understands remains concerned the former boss may decide enough is enough after a campaign of chaos in which he said he blames himself for creating what he described as United’s “worst team in history”;;.
Ratcliffe sees in Amorim a similar kind of character to himself — the kind of loose cannon who turned his Ineos company into a global petrochemical giant and became a billionaire.
But he wants to know for sure that the manager will at least see out the remaining two years of his contract — instead of leaving United in an even deeper mess.
There are concerns that even gaining a place by triumphing in Wednesday’s final with in Spain may not be enough to prevent the Portuguese chief from walking away.
He has already stated that playing among Europe’s elite next season may be too much for a squad he said “don’t fear”;; losing any more.
That followed last week’s defeat to at Old Trafford.
Since completing his £1.3billion investment into the Red Devils for a 27.7 per cent stake 15 months ago, Ratcliffe has overseen some brutal cost–cutting at the club.
Up to 450 jobs could be lost and so savage are the cuts that for 30 members of his backroom staff to go to the Bilbao final.
Ratcliffe had even warned that United’s finances were so bad that the club was .
But money will be found to fund the proposed £60m signing of attacker from Wolves — with Ipswich forward also a £30m target.
The club also want a new goalkeeper and another defender.
Meanwhile, homegrown stars like Alejandro Garnacho and could be sold to raise around £100m, with several other squad players also set to be ditched to raise more cash.
Amorim will be allowed a major say by Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox on who stays, who goes and what new talent will be brought in.
Only, however, if he convinces them that he is prepared to stay for the long haul — as opposed to leaving them looking for a third new manager in just under a year.
