British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is reportedly close to becoming an investor at Manchester United, has fired a strong dig at club captain Bruno Fernandes in a new book.
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The INEOS chief is believed to be close to completing a £1.25 billion (R29.7 billion) deal for a 25% stake in the Red Devils.
Once he does officially arrive, the 71-year-old is expected to take charge of the footballing operations at Old Trafford amid the club's complicated start to the 2023/24 campaign.
United currently find themselves sixth in the Premier League, having lost seven of their opening 16 matches of the league season.
Ratcliffe, whose company also owns OGC Nice in Ligue 1, was reportedly set to see his arrival confirmed before the team's UEFA Champions League encounter against Bayern Munich on Tuesday, but delays have halted the deal from being announced.
While the British businessman is said to be against making wholesale changes halfway through the season, the hold-up could still impact the club's January window.
However, there is an interesting aspect to Ratcliffe's stance on team captain Fernandes. According to the Daily Mail, in the opening page of his new book, he talked about a trip he took around the Pacific Ocean.
He said he "felt the ground tremble every time a Cook Islander smashed into another in a local rugby match", and added that player was "carted off in the back of a pick-up with a broken leg" and that it was "a far cry from Bruno Fernandes clutching his untouched face in the Liverpool debacle recently".
His remarks about the Portugal international is likely to refer to his actions during United's 7-0 defeat to the Reds in the Premier League earlier this year.
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Fernandes' actions in that game also earned him strong criticism from club legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane, who called the midfielder's body language in that fixture "disgraceful".
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