Man Utd fan pens message to Sir Jim Ratcliffe on huge billboard with his face on

A frustrated Manchester United fan has sent a message to Sir Jim Ratcliffe ahead the billionaire's long-awaited arrival at the club.

A giant billboard featuring an image of Sir Jim and the words 'Welcome to Manchester' appeared near Old Trafford at the start of the month – mimicking the infamous billboard Manchester City erected after pinching Carlos Tevez from United in 2009.

Ratcliffe is on the verge of acquiring a 25% stake in the Red Devils, with a deal expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The INEOS plutocrat will reportedly take control of all football-related operations when he joins, but for some fans, that isn't enough.

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Last week, passers-by noticed that the Ratcliffe billboard had been vandalised. Someone, presumably a disgruntled United supporter, graffitied the words "full sale only" on it, suggesting they wanted the 71-year-old to buy the vehemently hated Glazer family out of the club entirely.

Ratcliffe, who also owns Ligue 1 club Nice, had initially attempted to take full control of the club after the Glazers put United up for sale just over a year ago. He jostled for position with Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani before eventually agreeing a minority ownership deal.

Will Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival be confirmed before Christmas? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Pieces are already moving ahead of his arrival. CEO Richard Arnold's departure was announced earlier this season while United are also planning to replace football director John Murtough. It's understood that more changes are planned behind the scenes at United, with Ratcliffe's team unimpressed by a number of departmental strategies.

While negotiating with club chiefs earlier this year, Ratcliffe savaged first team recruitment in recent years and encouraged a complete overhaul of the squad's transfer policy. The Englishman also plans to work closely with manager Erik ten Hag during the January transfer window to ensure the team is in the best possible position to end the campaign strongly.

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