Man Utd information: Eric Cantona would not signal for membership now beneath ‘unacceptable’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Eric Cantona has criticised Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments about immigration as the club announced their latest financial results under his controversial reign
Eric Cantona says he wouldn’t sign for Manchester United now(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United’s controversial co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been slammed by club legend Eric Cantona.
Michael Carrick’s side are slumped in 12th place in the Premier League after being dumped out of the Carabao Cup at home to Brighton. And away from the pitch, INEOS owner and billionaire tax exile Ratcliffe has faced fierce criticism following his contentious remarks about immigration and benefits in the UK.
These comments have placed Ratcliffe at loggerheads with beloved former Red Devils player Cantona, whose iconic “seagulls follow the trawler” phrase provided the inspiration for Sir Jim’s Trawlers Ltd holding company when he acquired his United shareholding. It comes as United have announced their latest financial results. Here’s all the latest news from Old Trafford.
Eric Cantona is a Manchester United icon
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s controversial remarks slammed
Speaking to the BBC, Sir Jim said: “Unfortunately, at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide. It’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it. I think ultimately, we need politicians who are tough enough to deal with some very difficult problems.
“Nobody’s tough enough to deal with the immigration problem. Nobody’s tough enough to deal with the benefits problem. But somebody needs to do it, otherwise, it ends in a bad place.”
Cantona has lambasted Ratcliffe’s remarks and insisted he would never have joined United if the INEOS chief had been in charge at Old Trafford during his playing career.
The 60-year-old spearheaded Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to four league crowns in five seasons before hanging up his boots in 1997. Yet when quizzed whether he would put pen to paper for the club under Ratcliffe’s stewardship, Cantona replied: “No.”
INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe(Image: Getty)
Speaking to United supporter Peter Boyle, Cantona said: “Of course not [he wouldn’t have signed]. You know what I think about all of this, with this kind of politics. And I cannot understand that someone like this can say something like this when he’s one of the owners of the club.”
He continued: “Football is a very popular sport. Football is made – all the greatest players come from different waves of immigration. Everywhere, in France, in England, everywhere.
“In France for instance, the greatest players in France, they all come from different waves of immigration. I made a documentary on that, French Football: An Immigrant History. Raymond Kopa, in the fifties, was the son of Polish immigrants who came to France, worked in France, and worked hard in France.
“And then the Italians, Italians like Platini. And then Spanish, like me, my mother came from Spanish refugees. I cannot accept this kind of thing.”
Man Utd debt rises
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s reign at Manchester United has come under scrutiny(Image: Nick Potts/PA Wire)
United’s financial records for the 2025/26 campaign revealed they suffered a £43million annual net loss, £10m more than 12 months ago.
The club’s “non-current borrowings” now total £577.6million, representing a rise from £471.9m the previous year. The Premier League giants did register record turnover of £677.6m, reflecting a 1.7% rise despite their absence from European competition last term.
Carrick’s squad witnessed a £33.9m surge in broadcast income following their third-place Premier League finish and Champions League qualification, an improvement from 15th position in 2025.
United recorded a full-year operating surplus of £22.6million but reported an overall deficit of £43m, which is worse than the previous year’s £33 million loss.
The absence of European football and early cup eliminations led to a £6.8m decline in matchday income.
United say the club continue to benefit from Sir Jim’s operating cost and headcount reductions. Their total revenue, for the year ending June 30, 2026, increased by £11.1m.
Sir Jim, who acquired a minority stake in the club in 2024, has slashed costs, with controversial measures including cancelled Christmas parties and axing Sir Alex Ferguson from his role as club ambassador, while increasing ticket prices for fans, leading to protests.
