Ratcliffe, who is leading the Ineos Group&aposs bid to secure a 25 per cent stake in the club, is understood to be on the brink of securing a minority stake in the club. Chief executive Richard Arnold&aposs exit from Old Trafford on Wednesday was the biggest indicator yet that a deal is on the cusp of being finalised.
Should everything get over the line, widespread reports in recent weeks have suggested that Ratcliffe and Ineos, as part of the deal, will have full control of all football-related matters. According to reports, that will include overseeing the club&aposs recruitment strategy.
United&aposs recruitment policy is in desperate need of attention and improvement following a catalogue of errors in recent years. However, Scholes does not believe the Glazers will allow Ratcliffe to come into the club and be left to his own devices with just a minority stake.
Appearing on the Webby & O&aposNeill YouTube channel, Scholes said: “Well, everyone talks about recruitment and recruitment is very difficult. It&aposs a difficult thing to get right, every signing you make is a risk.
“It&aposs clear that we&aposve signed good players, but a lot of them don&apost seem to ever work. So I think that will be the first thing he does.
“They&aposre talking about a director of football as well, or a sporting director whatever you want to call it, with some experience, that will be something he will want to get in place straight away. I just find it difficult to believe that he&aposs going to be left to his own devices, only owning 25 per cent of the football club.
“How are the Glazers not going to want a say at the top table when it comes to football decisions? Obviously you can draw up contracts, of course you can, but if stuff is then happening that they don&apost like, you&aposre telling me they&aposre not going to come to the table and have something to say about it? I&aposm sure they will.
“I just find it bizarre. It&aposs obviously a stepping stone to him [Ratcliffe] taking over the club permanently, but how long that is going to be we don&apost know. And how much time has he got to try and get things right?”
Ratcliffe&aposs impending arrival at Old Trafford has raised questions about manager Erik ten Hag&aposs future at the club, with several reports in recent weeks claiming that the British billionaire will look to appoint his own manager. Scholes, though, is adamant Ten Hag should stay.
Scholes, addressing how ongoing speculation could impact Ten Hag, continued: “I don&apost know. That&aposs Jim Ratcliffe&aposs decision, I would have thought on the football side of it.
“Sometimes you do worry for managers when new owners come into it. I think it&aposs a worry [that Ten Hag might leave]. I think he should stay, I really like him.
