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[Vesper 28,768]

Why Britain's richest man has not completed Premier League takeover amid Chelsea and Man Utd links

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was tipped to take over a Premier League club this summer before his recent purchase of Nice

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/britains-richest-man-not-completed-19883481

 

Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe couldn't 'rationalise' taking over a Premier League club.

Billionaire Ratcliffe is the founder of chemical company INEOS, who purchased Nice this summer.

He has since been linked with takeovers in England, amid links to Chelsea , Manchester United and Newcastle .

His brother Bob, who is the head of INEOS' football division, confirmed talks with boyhood club Chelsea but admits a deal didn't make sense.

"We spent quite a lot of time looking at Premier League clubs and their valuations," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"£5bn revenue from the Premier League, top six clubs being valued at £2bn and upwards and £450m of net profit before tax.

"It was difficult to rationalise purchases in the Premier League for us."If you look below the top six, they are all £150m and above.

"You are going to write a cheque for £50m and get in the Everton cup. Where are you going to go?

"I think the foreseeable future it is off the radar. We have a three to five year project in Nice and that will keep us busy."

Asked if he had face-to-face talks with Chelsea chief Roman Abramovich, he said: "No, no. There was some early exchange but we were a significant way apart on valuations.

"The issue with Chelsea is its stadium. We are all getting older and it is a decade of your life to resolve that."

Bob Ratcliffe was also pushed on the links to Newcastle, with owner Mike Ashley continuing his search for a successor.

He added: "You look at Newcastle, and we looked at a lot of clubs. You come back to a valuation in the hundreds of millions and it is difficult to contemplate."

 

snip

 

the stadium is going to be the thing that does us in for at least a decade 

even if it had all went to plan before, we would not have moved in until 2025 or 2026 and had no home for 5 or 6 years (Twickenham said no, and there are serious issues with Wembley and the Olympic stadium (aka West Ham)

 

[Atomiswave 6,072]

I love SB, we must stay on the same ground but rebuild. That looks way off the table now though. I bet if them arabs owned us they would tear it down and rebuild asap.

In todays footy its kinda a hinderence our stadium ( still lovely ), why cant we tear one section down and expand? Like pool and city did if im not wrong?

[the wes 7,212]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

Why Britain's richest man has not completed Premier League takeover amid Chelsea and Man Utd links

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was tipped to take over a Premier League club this summer before his recent purchase of Nice

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/britains-richest-man-not-completed-19883481

 

Britain's richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe couldn't 'rationalise' taking over a Premier League club.

Billionaire Ratcliffe is the founder of chemical company INEOS, who purchased Nice this summer.

He has since been linked with takeovers in England, amid links to Chelsea , Manchester United and Newcastle .

His brother Bob, who is the head of INEOS' football division, confirmed talks with boyhood club Chelsea but admits a deal didn't make sense.

"We spent quite a lot of time looking at Premier League clubs and their valuations," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"£5bn revenue from the Premier League, top six clubs being valued at £2bn and upwards and £450m of net profit before tax.

"It was difficult to rationalise purchases in the Premier League for us."If you look below the top six, they are all £150m and above.

"You are going to write a cheque for £50m and get in the Everton cup. Where are you going to go?

"I think the foreseeable future it is off the radar. We have a three to five year project in Nice and that will keep us busy."

Asked if he had face-to-face talks with Chelsea chief Roman Abramovich, he said: "No, no. There was some early exchange but we were a significant way apart on valuations.

"The issue with Chelsea is its stadium. We are all getting older and it is a decade of your life to resolve that."

Bob Ratcliffe was also pushed on the links to Newcastle, with owner Mike Ashley continuing his search for a successor.

He added: "You look at Newcastle, and we looked at a lot of clubs. You come back to a valuation in the hundreds of millions and it is difficult to contemplate."

 

snip

 

the stadium is going to be the thing that does us in for at least a decade 

even if it had all went to plan before, we would not have moved in until 2025 or 2026 and had no home for 5 or 6 years (Twickenham said no, and there are serious issues with Wembley and the Olympic stadium (aka West Ham)

 

The bridge is the ninth biggest stadium in the PL thats not good enough for club are size 

[Vesper 28,768]

26 minutes ago, the wes said:

The bridge is the ninth biggest stadium in the PL thats not good enough for club are size 

and has fuckall for lux boxes compared to the new stadia, between 20,000 less tickets sold and so many fewer lux boxes, its is KILLING US

I wish I was a multi-billionaire for ONE reason (literally the only one where I would need THAT level of wealth):

 to buy Chels and make my dreams manifest, roflmaoooooooooooooooooo

it is really the only thing on earth I want down to the core of my soul but cannot afford  (well a carbon-neutral planet too, cure all cancers, and to smash up systemic banker control, but those are beyond any one human's powers, and I have no demi-god complex, lol)

I still say Bezos should buy us 

[Vesper 28,768]

1 hour ago, Atomiswave said:

I love SB, we must stay on the same ground but rebuild. That looks way off the table now though. I bet if them arabs owned us they would tear it down and rebuild asap.

In todays footy its kinda a hinderence our stadium ( still lovely ), why cant we tear one section down and expand? Like pool and city did if im not wrong?

Shitty did not rebuild Maine Road, they retrofitted the 2002 Commonwealth Games City of Manchester stadium, Maine Road was demolished in 2004

and SB just doesn't have the expandabilty option

[Vesper 28,768]

2 hours ago, the wes said:

Why Britain's richest man has not completed Premier League takeover amid Chelsea

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/britains-richest-man-not-completed-19883481

lol, I think we posted this at the exact same time or very close, you beat me to it, sawwwy for the dupe

[Atomiswave 6,072]

30 minutes ago, Vesper said:

and has fuckall for lux boxes compared to the new stadia, between 20,000 less tickets sold and so many fewer lux boxes, its is KILLING US

I wish I was a multi-billionaire for ONE reason (literally the only one where I would need THAT level of wealth):

 to buy Chels and make my dreams manifest, roflmaoooooooooooooooooo

it is really the only thing on earth I want down to the core of my soul but cannot afford  (well a carbon-neutral planet too, cure all cancers, and to smash up systemic banker control, but those are beyond any one human's powers, and I have no demi-god complex, lol)

I still say Bezos should buy us 

Cancer have been cured long time ago, they just dont use it for obvious reasons. Central banking controls most of what you see and they take some of the most crucial decisions.

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[manpe 10,861]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

 

My bet is on Villas-Boas. Or maybe Mourinho.

[Tomo 21,733]

45 minutes ago, manpe said:

My bet is on Villas-Boas. Or maybe Mourinho.

Can't see it being anyone other than AVB given he started the segregation. Conte a potential outside bet (possibly wanting the funds used for his transfer wishes) but unlikely.

Mourinho in fairness did like the idea of promoting young players he just bottled it when he came to realise it would take time instead of win him a title there and then.

[OhForAGreavsie 5,890]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

 

There is a good argument to be made for this. Indeed the entire, league wide, academy structure could be questioned. There is a fundamental disconnect between the aims of a football club and those of a school, and make no mistake a football club's academy is exactly that, a school. The centre of interest for the club it to meet its own requirements. The centre of interest for a school is the pupil.

The promise a school must make to each and every one of its pupils is to help them become the very best they can be. The school has no expectation that the pupil will ever become a teacher. To be fair, I think Chelsea fulfil this role brilliantly. There are a lot of people across the country, and across the continent, who are holding down great jobs and forging good lives because of the grounding they received at Cobham. That's the real measure of an educational establishment and Cobham is simply outstanding. So huge is the gap between what a school must do, and what people expect of a football club that, instead of winning widespread acclaim for its tremendous results, Cobham has been judged by almost everyone to be failing.

I don't feel that failing judgement has ever been justified, and have often said so. There are plenty here who disagree with me however. Can I look any of them in the eye and say that they are wrong? They'd be entitled to ask if Chelsea is a trophy chasing football club, or a school. They might point out that BP employ engineers, chemists, accountants, lawyers but they don't attempt to educate them all. I'm proud of our academy. I take pride in watching our lads play good football and win. For me, the five straight Youth Cups is right up there with the best achievements of this club that I would want to boast about. I do think however that it would serve the English game better if the education of young footballers, and the funding required to make it work, were taken away from top level clubs.

The NFL have this right. They recruit the top footballers, they don't teach them the game. They concentrate on what they're good at and leave the training, or apprenticeships if you prefer, to the experts Our system, our culture, means it is very hard to see training left to lower division clubs. There would be enormous resistance but it could be done. The key would be to put age limits on who can play in Leagues one and two, as well as the national league. With the most youngsters required, and the fewest over age players allowed, in the National League. The balance would shift as clubs move up or down the league, until the Championship which would be without restriction. The bulk of the playing squad for junior clubs would be made up of youngsters. The better ones would graduate into Leagues One & Two and the best will rise to the top. Just like in the real world.

The economics of this would be an issue but it could be solved. That's for another long post however. My point is that whoever the manager was, he was not a million miles away from being in the right.

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

3 hours ago, manpe said:

My bet is on Villas-Boas. Or maybe Mourinho.

Not certain that Villas-Boas would of been for that. A presentation does sound like him and okay he did talk about the PL needing a B team league to bridge the gap but he came from Porto where their youth academy is a huge part of how they operate, as well as the whole Portuguese leagues culture.

Also the fact he targeted/signed lots of younger players during his time here, Courtois, Lukaku, Romeu, De Bruyne, Davila, Omeruo, Piazon, Bamford (although Lukaku, Courtois and de Bruyne had been scouted by the club beforehand I am certain but he was the manager when they signed so you could say he had a say or an idea regarding them). He also wanted Thiago Alcantara, Andre Schurrle, did play Sturridge a lot, showed faith in Romeu over Mikel too when others wouldnt have and promoted Bertrand to the first team squad.

I know they arent academy players and am not certain his youth record is great either though which maybe doesnt help the argument but I think he wouldnt of been wanting to close the academy, he always talked and seemed more worried about a long term change at Chelsea in style and seemed to want to phase out some of the senior players instantly.

I do reckon it was Mourinhos 2nd spell. Sounds like something he would do. The whole academy day bullshit after playing Ruben for 20 mins or whatever it was too, it reeks of him. Also the whole academy should be used to make money bit, Jose talked about Chelsea's net spend and FFP in his second spell here a lot. 

Could argue Conte maybe as well but for me sounds more Jose esque.

[Vesper 28,768]

11 hours ago, Jason said:

 

Mourinho in 2014

Jose Mourinho: If Chelsea don't bring young players through then we should close our academy

Chelsea manager proudly parades academy graduate Ruben Loftus-Cheek in front of the cameras ahead of Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/11283101/Jose-Mourinho-If-Chelsea-dont-bring-young-players-through-then-we-should-close-our-academy.html

Just 24 hours after a French ex-Arsenal player, a Belgian and an Argentine helped to unveil Manchester City’s new £200million Football Academy, Jose Mourinho sat an English teenager “made in Chelsea” next to him ahead of his side's Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been at Chelsea since the age of eight and will play some part of the club’s final Group G game at Stamford Bridge, most probably from the substitutes’ bench.

The fact 18-year-old Loftus-Cheek will be involved against Sporting is not entirely surprising, given Chelsea have already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners, but Mourinho’s decision to put the youngster straight in front of the television cameras was an unusual move.

Mourinho does everything for a reason and it seemed that while City had shown they now have the best facilities in the land to bring through young players, the Chelsea manager was displaying that his club finally believe they have the home-grown talent and the right environment to give youth a chance.

Chelsea have not seen one of their own become a regular first-team player since captain John Terry, despite opening their £30m academy in 2005 with running costs of up to £8m a year.

City’s last home-grown product was Micah Richards, who may have smiled wryly to see Patrick Vieira, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta open the club’s new talent factory from Italy, where he is currently on loan with Fiorentina.

“If you don't bring kids through the academy, the best thing is to close the academy,” said Chelsea manager Mourinho. “If the kids are not good enough or the work not good enough and you don't bring kids up, then close the door and use the money to buy players.

“You need to prove the academy works well and is worth it. It's only possible if the first-team manager stays for a long time, which in this club, in the last 10 years, was not possible. Now I'm trying to format Ruben and other Rubens in relation to my ideas, to his position.

“Imagine next week if there's a different first-team manager with different ideas. Some product, almost an added product, becomes an empty product and you start everything again. In this moment, the relation between the first-team and the academy is changing based on this stability that, at this moment, we are having.

“The first time Ruben trained with me was 18 months ago. In the last two or three weeks, he's been training with me every day. So, in 18 months, I think he remembers every word or feedback he's had in first-team development. This stability is important. The people in the academy feel they are working for something.

“Which is why tomorrow, when a boy who arrived at Cobham aged eight plays, is not Ruben's day but ‘academy day’.”

Loftus-Cheek captained Chelsea to FA Youth Cup glory last season and made his mark at international level just last month by scoring in England Under-19s’ 3-0 victory over Italy.

He joins Lewis Baker, Isaiah Brown and Dominic Solanke in the group of young English players that Mourinho is taking a special interest in.

Having confirmed Loftus-Cheek will make his first-team debut at some point against Sporting, Mourinho said: “One month ago, he played in Lisbon with the Champions League new generation, so you can imagine the difference between playing against Sporting academy, with 1,000 spectators, and then to play against Sporting in the real Champions League, at Stamford Bridge with 45,000 and all the lights on you.

“To be here since he was eight and to have the chance to play for Chelsea, his first game, is every kid’s dream.

“He was not one of the players that started the season with me. He didn't have a pre-season with me. But the way he's training with us, every time he comes, gives me the guarantee that – while not being an end product – he has the quality and the ambition.

“I'm so happy to give the kids a chance and, especially, when I give the chance and feel that they have the tools to answer well and make a career at Chelsea. An English player, 18, completely made in Chelsea - if he does it and if he succeeds, it's good.”

If his performance in front of the cameras and microphones was anything to go by, then Loftus-Cheek should not suffer from stage fright at Stamford Bridge.

Asked whether he and the rest of Chelsea’s youngsters are mindful that the club have not produced one of their own since Terry, Loftus-Cheek replied: “We're very aware of that. It's not going to be easy to break in, especially with the squad in front of us, but you can't be negative in these situations. You have to think you can do it and be positive, otherwise you won't get anywhere near.

“It would be amazing to make my debut. I've been here since I was a young kid, watching Chelsea on the TV and thinking maybe I would be playing at Stamford Bridge. If the opportunity comes, great. If it doesn't, I’ll keep working hard, doing my best every day, and, hopefully, the chance will come.”

[manpe 10,861]

^ So confirmed, it was Mourinho who attempted to destroy our future even further, cunt. Can't see how any club with long-term plans would hire this wrecking ball.

[Vesper 28,768]

2 hours ago, manpe said:

^ So confirmed, it was Mourinho who attempted to destroy our future even further, cunt. Can't see how any club with long-term plans would hire this wrecking ball.

perfect re-hire for Real Madrid, roflmaoooooooooo

[Jase 43,479]

14 hours ago, Vesper said:

Mourinho in 2014

Jose Mourinho: If Chelsea don't bring young players through then we should close our academy

Chelsea manager proudly parades academy graduate Ruben Loftus-Cheek in front of the cameras ahead of Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/11283101/Jose-Mourinho-If-Chelsea-dont-bring-young-players-through-then-we-should-close-our-academy.html

Just 24 hours after a French ex-Arsenal player, a Belgian and an Argentine helped to unveil Manchester City’s new £200million Football Academy, Jose Mourinho sat an English teenager “made in Chelsea” next to him ahead of his side's Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been at Chelsea since the age of eight and will play some part of the club’s final Group G game at Stamford Bridge, most probably from the substitutes’ bench.

The fact 18-year-old Loftus-Cheek will be involved against Sporting is not entirely surprising, given Chelsea have already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners, but Mourinho’s decision to put the youngster straight in front of the television cameras was an unusual move.

Mourinho does everything for a reason and it seemed that while City had shown they now have the best facilities in the land to bring through young players, the Chelsea manager was displaying that his club finally believe they have the home-grown talent and the right environment to give youth a chance.

Chelsea have not seen one of their own become a regular first-team player since captain John Terry, despite opening their £30m academy in 2005 with running costs of up to £8m a year.

City’s last home-grown product was Micah Richards, who may have smiled wryly to see Patrick Vieira, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta open the club’s new talent factory from Italy, where he is currently on loan with Fiorentina.

“If you don't bring kids through the academy, the best thing is to close the academy,” said Chelsea manager Mourinho. “If the kids are not good enough or the work not good enough and you don't bring kids up, then close the door and use the money to buy players.

“You need to prove the academy works well and is worth it. It's only possible if the first-team manager stays for a long time, which in this club, in the last 10 years, was not possible. Now I'm trying to format Ruben and other Rubens in relation to my ideas, to his position.

“Imagine next week if there's a different first-team manager with different ideas. Some product, almost an added product, becomes an empty product and you start everything again. In this moment, the relation between the first-team and the academy is changing based on this stability that, at this moment, we are having.

“The first time Ruben trained with me was 18 months ago. In the last two or three weeks, he's been training with me every day. So, in 18 months, I think he remembers every word or feedback he's had in first-team development. This stability is important. The people in the academy feel they are working for something.

“Which is why tomorrow, when a boy who arrived at Cobham aged eight plays, is not Ruben's day but ‘academy day’.”

Loftus-Cheek captained Chelsea to FA Youth Cup glory last season and made his mark at international level just last month by scoring in England Under-19s’ 3-0 victory over Italy.

He joins Lewis Baker, Isaiah Brown and Dominic Solanke in the group of young English players that Mourinho is taking a special interest in.

Having confirmed Loftus-Cheek will make his first-team debut at some point against Sporting, Mourinho said: “One month ago, he played in Lisbon with the Champions League new generation, so you can imagine the difference between playing against Sporting academy, with 1,000 spectators, and then to play against Sporting in the real Champions League, at Stamford Bridge with 45,000 and all the lights on you.

“To be here since he was eight and to have the chance to play for Chelsea, his first game, is every kid’s dream.

“He was not one of the players that started the season with me. He didn't have a pre-season with me. But the way he's training with us, every time he comes, gives me the guarantee that – while not being an end product – he has the quality and the ambition.

“I'm so happy to give the kids a chance and, especially, when I give the chance and feel that they have the tools to answer well and make a career at Chelsea. An English player, 18, completely made in Chelsea - if he does it and if he succeeds, it's good.”

If his performance in front of the cameras and microphones was anything to go by, then Loftus-Cheek should not suffer from stage fright at Stamford Bridge.

Asked whether he and the rest of Chelsea’s youngsters are mindful that the club have not produced one of their own since Terry, Loftus-Cheek replied: “We're very aware of that. It's not going to be easy to break in, especially with the squad in front of us, but you can't be negative in these situations. You have to think you can do it and be positive, otherwise you won't get anywhere near.

“It would be amazing to make my debut. I've been here since I was a young kid, watching Chelsea on the TV and thinking maybe I would be playing at Stamford Bridge. If the opportunity comes, great. If it doesn't, I’ll keep working hard, doing my best every day, and, hopefully, the chance will come.”

It's so cringeworthy looking back at this. Talked so much about the academy and only one played in the meaningless Champions League game and it was just for 7 minutes!