Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's private takeover admission speaks volumes

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously admitted that he doesn't have the time to helm the rebuilding of a football club, according to Graeme Souness. And how quickly the INEOS kingpin has moved to re-structure Manchester United's hierarchy indicates that he is wasting no time in restoring the club's former glories.

Ratcliffe set the tone for the pace in which he plans to get things in order at Old Trafford by overseeing the appointment of Omar Berrada as chief executive before his £1.3billion investment was confirmed.

In the months that have followed his purchase of a 27.7 per cent stake, multiple high-ranking officials have departed, and Jason Wilcox has started as United's new technical director.

Sporting director-elect Dan Ashworth is also waiting in the wings on gardening leave at Newcastle United, and there is hope he will complete his switch later this year.

Souness recently concerned United supporters by claiming that around five years ago, Ratcliffe admitted he was hesitant to invest in a football club because of time constraints in his busy business life.

"Jim Ratcliffe is a year older than me. I think he is 71 now. This [United] isn't a quick fix," Souness explained on Up Front with Simon Jordan.

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"I had a meeting with him. He asked to see me about buying a football club. I think he was about 66 at the time.

"I can vividly remember him saying: 'I haven't got time to buy a club and develop it'. He was talking about Fulham, and he had a season ticket at Chelsea.

"I said: 'Chelsea, maybe buy that?' He did say: 'Fulham, it's a project, it's not going to happen overnight'. He said: "I don't have that amount of time'."

Despite concerns about Ratcliffe's past stance, it could ultimately work heavily in United's favour after a decade of mediocrity.

The 71-year-old has publicly stressed the need for the right individuals to inherit control of football operations if he is to spearhead positive change at Old Trafford.

While he is expected to have a more hands-on ownership role than the negligent Glazer family, Berrada, Ashworth, and Wilcox's early arrivals suggest he's already got what he wanted.

That trio and United's head coach - rather than the current title of manager - working in unison with advisors Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc will give the club a huge shot at driving improvement in good time.