"I'm not interested in money". What Ratcliffe said as the new co-owner of Manchetster United

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the new co-owner of Manchester United, granted a significant interview to the official website of the Red Devils after officially acquiring 25% shares of the club.

The owner of Ineos Group addressed all the pertinent questions regarding the club's operations, future goals, and plans.

About the club's objectives. Well, on the pitch is really simple. I think the only interest we have is in winning football matches and competing for the Premier League and competing for the Champions League.

So that's our only interest in being involved in Manchester United. That is what Manchester United is about. I mean, maybe I'm slightly biased, but I think it's the biggest, the greatest and the most well-known football club in the world. So it should always be competing for the league title and the Champions League title - always. So that's how we have to measure ourselves. In terms of what our expectations are off the pitch, if you like, I mean, that's just about values, I think.

About fans. That's what the club's all about, it’s the fans really. I've always said that we don't own the club. These shareholders, myself and the Glazer family, we don't own the club. The true owners of the club are the fans, the community, and we're merely guardians or stewards for a period of time of the club.

We don't own the club. The club is a community asset. And so it's all about the fans really, and what the fans want, because [what’s] really, really important to those people who live in Manchester and go to the game every week, is they want to see the team winning, because that's so enjoyable for everybody. And we recognise that. So it's all about the fans.

About club stadium. If you look at our role at Manchester United, there are two key issues that we have to address. One is the football, which is performance on the field really, which is always going to be our priority with Manchester United.

But the second one, the second big issue really in the club, which a lot of people talk about and are conscious of, is where the stadium sits today. I mean, it's an impressive stadium and it's the largest Premier League stadium in the country – the second-largest stadium in the country to Wembley, I suppose.

But it's not quite of the standard you would expect of Manchester United today and it's fallen behind. Maybe 20 years ago, it was [at the standard], but today, it's fallen behind. We do need to look at the way forward for the stadium, the redevelopment of that stadium, and that there are clearly two roads we could take: we could refurbish the existing stadium or we could look at building a new stadium. And that's what we're looking at, at the moment.

Yes [Carrington is in our thoughts], but I think it's secondary to Old Trafford. Carrington is fairly impressive, I think. I quite like Carrington as a facility. I mean, I think there are things that we can do to improve it, but I don't think they're of the magnitude that the stadium requires.

On his motivation to invest in the club. Yes, I'm not interested in the financial aspects of this investment at all, really, because I make enough money in chemicals and oil and gas really. This is not a financial investment. It's because I'm interested in seeing Manchester United being successful again.

It hasn't been successful the last 11 years, but it needs to get back to where it should be, which is at the top of the game.

About a competitor in buying United. Still nobody's ever seen it, actually. The Glazers never met it... it never... I'm not sure if it exists!