Neville: Sir Ratcliffe's 25% stake on Christmas Eve makes 2023 'DISGRACE to end'

Gary Neville has torn into Manchester United, claiming the decision to announce Sir Jim Ratcliffe's minority share takeover on Christmas Eve makes 2023 a 'disgrace to the end'.

Ratcliffe's £1.25billion buy-out of 25 per cent of United will finally be confirmed on December 24.

The INEOS petrochemicals billionaire will take charge of football operations at Old Trafford after buying a stake in the club from the Glazer family.

The official announcement of the deal has been delayed several times but confirmation is now expected on Sunday afternoon.

But Neville was far from impressed at the timing of the announcement, claiming it is a move not one of their rivals would have made.

'Manchester United 2023 has been a disgrace to the end,' Neville posted on X, formerly Twitter.

'The timing of this is truly awful and no functioning organisation would even think about it.

'Anyway all the very best to Jim Radcliffe and I hope he can somehow work out a way to get the club right again and back to being something respectable on and off the pitch.'

As part of the minority deal, Ratcliffe and his INEOS team will take control of the playing side at United, including player recruitment.

That will officially happen once ratified by the Premier League, a process which could take between six and eight weeks.

Back in October, Neville claimed Ratcliffe's minority stake raised 'more questions than answers' at Old Trafford.

A £245million commitment to improve the infrastructure at Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground has been pledged by Ratcliffe, as well as trying to improve fortunes on the pitch.

Industry experts have warned that the sum - should it be spent in its entirety on what is a decaying Old Trafford - will not be transformative.

Neville