Manchester United MUST consult Sir Jim Ratcliffe if they want to sack Erik ten Hag while the INEOS owner’s £1.3billion investment is being ratified – with approval process set to take between four and six weeks

Manchester United must consult Sir Jim Ratcliffe if they want to sack Erik ten Hag or sign any players while the INEOS owner’s £1.3billion investment is being ratified.

The clause came to light in a 241-page deal document published on the New York Stock Exchange after it was announced on Christmas Eve that Ratcliffe is buying a quarter of the club and taking charge of football operations at Old Trafford.

It will take between four to six weeks for the 71-year-old to pass the Premier League’s first and proper person test, and for the NYSE to oversee the sale of 25 per cent of the club’s Class A shares that Ratcliffe will acquire from investors in addition to the 25 per cent of Class B shares he is buying from the Glazer family.

During that period, the petrochemicals billionaire and his INEOS team will have to give their consent for United to sign any players in the January transfer window or sack Ten Hag or football director John Murtough.

The document states that INEOS must be told if United consider ‘appointing, dismissing or accepting the resignation of any Director of Football or First Team Manager of the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries’.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to purchase 25 per cent stake in United was confirmed on Christmas Eve

Murtough is expected to move aside in time to make way for a new director of football, but could be handed an alternative role at the club.

Ten Hag’s position is seen as vulnerable following Ratcliffe’s investment, but the Dutchman got the new era off to a good start as United came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in front of INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford on Tuesday night.

Afterwards, Ten Hag welcomed the deal, saying: ‘I don’t think it has had an impact on the players. For me, I was kept informed in the whole process, so I knew what was going on. We’re looking forward. I think it is positive for the club that they are stepping in.

‘They have a lot of experience in sport at the highest level: Formula One, a cycling team, football clubs. They can only help us and support us to get our targets. They want to work with us and we want to work with them.’