Sir Jim Ratcliffe putting his money where his mouth is! Man Utd part-owner set to invest £245m of personal fortune into club's crumbling infrastructure

• Ratcliffe to invest in stadium infrastructure
• Will pay £245m in a personal capacity
• Negotiations ongoing to claim a 25 per cent stake

WHAT HAPPENED? According to Sky News, the British billionaire is ready to fork out the substantial amount to revamp the club's ageing infrastructure. This payment is being made by him personally and is in addition to the £1.25bn that he will spend to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the club. Hence the transaction will not contribute to United's existing debt. The investment will be made in stages with a significant portion provided to the club by the end of the year.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The entire sum will be committed to improving the club's infrastructure and will not be used for squad reinforcement. However, transforming United's stadium into a world-class facility to match the likes of the Emirates and the Etihad may require more extensive financial resources and it is believed that Ratcliffe is open to additional investment to equip Old Trafford with state-of-the-art facilities.

However, it remains to be seen if these plans will be made public when the takeover is announced, which might be in another 15 days as both parties remain locked in negotiations.

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WHAT NEXT? It has been reported that Sir Ratcliffe will take control of sporting matters at the club after the takeover process is sealed. It is rumoured that he might appoint former Tottenham head of recruitment Paul Mitchell as director of football to turn around the fortunes of a United side that has struggled to find success under manager Erik ten Hag.