Former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey has unpacked his feelings about Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s operation of a football club while plying his trade at French outfit OGC Nice.
Ratcliffe took over the Ligue 1 stalwarts in 2019, adding it to INEOS’ sports portfolio which also includes cycling and Formula 1. The Failsworth-born billionaire is among those vying for a takeover of Manchester United with Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani also in the running.
Representatives of both parties met with senior club officials last month for talks about a purchase from the Glazers with the pair submitting revised second bids. Sheikh Jassim wishes to complete a 100 per cent takeover of United while Ratcliffe wishes to take hold of the Glazers’ 69 per cent majority stake.
READ MORE: Gary Neville highlights issues with bids from Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Nice have enjoyed several European exploits under Ratcliffe’s ownership with the businessman unafraid to show managers the door if underperforming having dismissed Lucien Favre in January.
Ramsey joined Nice in the summer after being let go by Juventus. He explained to L’Equipe what enticed him to the club given the “exciting” direction the ownership wanted to go in.
“I spoke to several players about the club, and I was seduced by the INEOS project,” he said. “To me everything was brilliant, from the vision of the club to the way they wanted to develop.
“I still wanted to play at a top level, to prove to myself that I could do it and this was the perfect place to show it. It was a great opportunity, and the project is very exciting.
“Obviously, you want to be in the best shape for the national team, but Nice is perfect for me. With the vision of INEOS, their experience in all sports, it’s only a matter of time for Nice to fight to play in the Champions League. It’s very exciting.”
Under current rules, United and Nice would not be allowed to enter the same European competition while owned by the same entity, although Uefa president Aleksander Cerefin hinted last month that there could be changes to these regulations in the future.
It is understood the Glazers are aiming to wrap up the takeover process by the summer.
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