Sir Jim Ratcliffe's previous Chelsea "money" comments reveal his Man Utd strategy that will delight fans

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is interested in buying Manchester United, has made past comments about Chelsea that will delight fans of the Old Trafford club.

Yesterday the British billionaire’s firm, Ineos, officially stated an interest in buying United.

The Red Devils’ current owners, the Glazers, said in November that they were considering selling the club, as they explore “strategic alternatives”.

And Ineos has since claimed in a statement that the company has "formally put [itself] into the process".

Ratcliffe, who is a boyhood United fan, is one of the UK’s richest people, with a personal wealth estimated at somewhere between £11billion (Forbes) and £6billion (Sunday Times). Indeed, his petrochemicals firm Ineos makes about £50billion in annual sales and employs more than 26,000 people across the world.

Last year Ratcliffe made an unsuccessful £4.25billion bid to buy Chelsea, where he has a season ticket, after the London club were put up for sale.

His comments then about the strategy he would employ if his Blues bid was successful will delight United fans.

Ratcliffe’s past Chelsea comments

When linked with Chelsea Ratcliffe insisted he had no interest in turning the club into a cash cow - an accusation that some United fans have put against the Glazers.

Last year, Ratcliffe suggested that non-British owners “do not understand the heritage" of Premier League clubs, while he claimed there has been "a lot of angst" about Chelsea ending up "in the hands of people who don't have a long-term vision for it".

Speaking to the BBC, the billionaire said: "We're not interested in making money out of Chelsea. The investment in Chelsea is a long-term thing.

"Can we run that club really, really well and turn it into one of the finest clubs in Europe? That's our ambition with Chelsea."

The business mogul’s past comments suggest Ratcliffe would put United’s interests first if he were to successfully acquire the club.

Fans have been deeply critical of the Glazer family’s 17 years at Old Trafford. The Americans bought full control of the club for £790million ($1.34billion) in 2005.

It was a deal that spurred mass criticism, having been predominantly financed through loans secured against the club's assets.