Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is closing in on a sale of OGC Nice after the latest breakthrough.
Tough sell
Ratcliffe put Nice up for sale last May but he has had trouble finding suitors amidst his hefty £200million valuation.
The INEOS billionaire’s time at the helm of the French club has been a story of turbulence and repeated false dawns. Under him, Nice have finished as high as fourth last season, while Franck Haise was in the dugout.
However, Haise was sacked and replaced by former Leicester City boss Claude Puel, who currently has the club in 15th place, eight points above the relegation zone. Nice are staring at their lowest Ligue 1 finish since the 2013/14 campaign, a season that saw them end in 17th place. Context matters, though, as that was a 20-team league, whereas the competition has been trimmed to 18 teams since 2023.
The displeasure of Nice fans with Ratcliffe’s management has been well documented, and it has only escalated further since he gained operational control of United.
The British businessman has done himself no favours with remarks about the football being boring and confessing that watching Nice simply doesn’t stimulate him nearly enough.
A report covered by The Peoples Person last month claimed that Ratcliffe had been forced to lower his valuation of Nice as his desperation to exit French football grows.
Now, Nice-Matin reveal that Ratcliffe’s reduced price tag has attracted a handful of potential buyers.
Nice boost for Ratcliffe
According to the news outlet, “Things are moving behind the scenes regarding the sale of OGC Nice. Tasked last year by Ineos with finding a buyer, the Lazard bank has reportedly received various offers of interest in recent months.”
“According to our information, a European fund and an American fund have begun discussions with the London-based organisation, and the investors from across the Atlantic, whose group identity has not been revealed, even recently participated in a visit to the training centre alongside Jean-Claude Blanc, the Chief Executive Officer of Ineos Sport.”
Nice-Matin say that one issue complicating affairs is Nice’s difficult financial situation. This is making a sale slightly more difficult despite the lower asking fee.
Ratcliffe remains “determined” to sell but for this to happen, it’s crucial that Nice guarantee their top-flight status first.
Meanwhile, Michael Carrick and his players are next in action on Saturday when they go away to Sunderland.
Featured image by Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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