Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has dramatically reduced the asking price for French club OGC Nice as he attempts to offload his stake in the team, it is claimed. According to Bloomberg, Ineos had initially been seeking more than €200m (£173m) to complete a full sale of the club in the coming weeks and months.
Ratcliffe put Nice on the market last year, but potential investors were reportedly unwilling to meet the asking price for the Ligue 1 side. This has since prompted the valuation to 'come down significantly' to help facilitate a sale. The primary obstacle centres around uncertainty surrounding the television rights deal in France, with DAZN initially acquiring the rights but later collapsing, leaving Ligue 1 to manage its own broadcast deal.
Any agreement for an investor to purchase the Ineos stake in Nice would end nearly seven years of ownership, which has produced mixed results. The club currently sits 14th in the league with just a six-point cushion above the relegation zone, and they have yet to register a single point in the Europa League.
This comes at a time when United face their own challenges. Ruben Amorim, the first permanent appointment under the new ownership, was dismissed after friction over his role. 'I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach,' he stated. Michael Carrick has been appointed interim boss as Ineos seek a permanent replacement.
