This is what Sir Jim Ratcliffe told Man Utd fans in key meetings

Sir Jim Ratcliffe met fan representatives and local community leaders on Monday - with a clear message.

The 71-year-old has had a busy week, he was in attendance for Sunday’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, his first United match since the news of his 25% agreement to become a minority shareholder was announced on Christmas Eve. Ratcliffe will need to pass the Premier League's regulatory tests before the deal can be officially ratified, but the Ineos lead shareholder is hopeful it could be wrapped up in the next month.

And he has also been spending time this week meeting with fan representatives and local community leaders in Manchester. He met members of the club’s Fans’ Advisory Board and leaders of the independent Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) at Old Trafford to introduce himself and hear fans’ perspective.

There was also a video meeting with the club’s larger Fans’ Forum plus he also held meetings with a range of local civic leaders from Trafford and Greater Manchester to discuss United’s role in the local community and the potential redevelopment of Old Trafford.

MUST have outlined some of what was said: "His main message was that everything at United needs to be ruthlessly focused on creating winning teams on the field – something we are sure all fans will agree on. He also expressed the view that he views our club as a ‘community asset’ and stressed that his purpose in taking a share in United is not to make money.

“We were able to set out to Sir Jim what we think the key priorities are – a clear plan to get back to the top, putting in place a football structure with the right people in the right roles; an investment plan in both the teams and the stadium; and building a genuine and strong partnership with fans that supports success. We hope today’s discussion is the start of an ongoing dialogue both with Sir Jim and his team."