Amid the takeover saga, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is warning Manchester United.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, head of INEOS and Manchester United takeover bidder, also owns French Ligue 1 club Nice but faces difficulties in southern France

Manchester United fans want nothing but clarity after a long and grueling takeover process.

The Glazers put the Reds up for sale in November, but things have been slow going ever since. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani is reportedly set to take over, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe remains in the fray and is believed to be keenly interested in the outcome.

This obsession with a takeover by United has meant bad news for his other club, Nice. L’Equipe reports this week that there is uncertainty at the Ligue 1 club over the summer’s transfer budget.

Meanwhile, the club are no closer to appointing a new head coach after interim boss Didier Digard was reportedly told he would not be given the role permanently.

This all comes after Nice fans protested ownership this season after losing faith in the direction the club was taking.

All of this paints a troubling picture for United fans. Normally a solid focus on the club an owner is looking to buy would be seen as a good thing, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of another team.

Ratcliffe may have banked on buying his boyhood club, but he should be able to balance the two. Let us not forget that if the INEOS owner succeeds with his offer to buy United, he will consider managing both clubs

You would imagine United would be seen as the senior partner in this relationship and there is little to suggest otherwise. However, the current prospects for Nice are a red flag for fans at the moment.

It’s fair to suggest that the Reds have higher expectations than the French club and the task at Old Trafford will be much more difficult given the position United are in at the moment. Unfortunately for Ratcliffe, Nice is not the glittering advertisement Britain’s richest man would like.

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Fans will be watching closely what is happening across the Channel and hoping for signs that the INEOS strategy is working before welcoming Ratcliffe with open arms.