Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has made his feelings clear that he does not agree with one major change that Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to make at Old Trafford.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is a big admirer of Eric Cantona, became Manchester United co-owner in 2023 after he captured a minority stake in the Premier League club.
The deal is believed to have been worth an eye-watering £1.25bn, with United co-owner Ratcliffe capturing a 27.7 per cent stake in the Red Devils.
Ratcliffe’s deal, which was agreed on Christmas Eve in 2023, also included a whopping £237m to be used for future investment in the Old Trafford stadium.
The 71-year-old British billionaire has seen his Ineos team take control of football operations at United after he secured his minority stake.
Ratcliffe has made sweeping changes at United already, including the appointments of high-profile figures like Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox and Dan Ashworth.
The United co-owner has also retained Erik ten Hag as Red Devils manager and offered him a new contract after Ineos completed their end-of-season review.
Cantona reacts to Ratcliffe’s Man Utd plan
Eric Cantona had a sensational impact during his legendary career at Manchester United during the 1990s under iconic former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The 58-year-old Frenchman was a larger-than-life figure at Old Trafford and lifted four Premier League titles and two FA Cups during a prolific run at the club.
Cantona stunned the world in 1997 with his surprise decision to retire from football in 1997, with the United legend trying his hand at acting and becoming a musician.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Cantona was asked how he felt about the potential idea of United moving away from the iconic Old Trafford stadium in the future.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously teased the idea of building a ‘Wembley of the North’ and United are believed to be exploring options over the future of Old Trafford.
Old Trafford has fallen behind in its current state compared with other stadiums in the UK – and the world – and rival fans have mocked the ‘leaky roof’ at the venue.
Cantona has insisted that United’s stadium is “very important” and he felt the “heritage” and “history” are irreplicable amid his desire to stick with Old Trafford.
“No, never,” he said.
“I think the stadium is very important. I remember the first day I came to Manchester United, I could feel the ghosts of the club, of the players, and everything.
“The energy of the club. The history. It’s a heritage. You can feel the soul of the club, you can feel the energy of the past strongly. It’s very important.”
Cantona on Man Utd and Old Trafford
Cantona used Arsenal as an example and claimed the Gunners “lost the soul” of their club when they left Highbury and moved to the Emirates.
“I cannot imagine Manchester United without Old Trafford,” he added.
“I cannot imagine Liverpool without Anfield or Real Madrid without the Santiago Bernabeu.
“I think some clubs change their stadiums and lose their soul, like Arsenal for example. When they left Highbury, they lost the soul of this club.”