Ratcliffe greenlights Man Utd pursuit of brilliant €70m Antony upgrade

Tom Weber

• Updated: 14 Feb 2024 19:28 GMT
• 3 min read

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has approved Manchester United's pursuit of Michael Olise, according to a report.

The INEOS chief is on the verge of officially acquiring a 25 per cent minority stake in Man Utd after the Premier League greenlit his investment on Tuesday. The billionaire will gain full control of the club's sporting operations and has already begun overhauling the recruitment department, hiring a new CEO in Omar Berrada from Man City and bringing INEOS genius Sir Dave Brailsford on board as an advisor.

Ratcliffe's investment will alleviate Man Utd's Financial Fair Play concerns and pave the way for significant summer spending, though a lot of the club's potential business will also hinge on making the Champions League, with their chances of achieving this recently getting a big boost thanks to a win over nearest rivals Aston Villa.

Though Man Utd are on a good run of form, it has nevertheless been a very disappointing season and Erik ten Hag is keen to improve his squad in the summer. Despite Rasmus Hojlund finding his shooting boots in recent games, an experienced striker is on the Dutchman's list, as is a new centre-back. Moreover, the right-wing problem needs to be addressed.

Olise to Man Utd?

€95 million man Antony has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for the Red Devils and Ten Hag. Despite scoring against fourth-tier side Newport in the FA Cup, the Brazilian still has not recorded a single goal contribution in the Premier League this term and he has now officially lost his place to young Alejandro Garnacho.

The Argentine has been brilliant of late, but there is a belief at Man Utd that it would be foolish to pin all their hopes on the 19-year-old. The Red Devils have been looking for right-wing upgrades and have found an ideal candidate in Crystal Palace's Michael Olise.

When fit, the Frenchman is one of the Premier League's most devasting wingers and, according to 90min, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are fans, having given Man Utd the green light to pursue a deal for him in the summer. Olise's summer release clause is reportedly in the region of €70m.