Cantona says he would have rejected United over Ratcliffe's immigration remarks as club debt rises

Eric Cantona has declared he would have refused to join Manchester United had Sir Jim Ratcliffe been at the club during his playing days, responding directly to the INEOS co-owner’s controversial remarks about immigration in the UK.

Ratcliffe, 73, sparked widespread criticism after telling the BBC that Britain is “on the slide” and that no politician is “tough enough to deal with the immigration problem.” The comments drew a sharp rebuke from Cantona, the Frenchman whose famous “seagulls follow the trawler” quote famously inspired the name of Ratcliffe’s Trawlers Ltd holding company.

Speaking to United supporter Peter Boyle, Cantona was unequivocal. “Of course not,” he said when asked whether he would sign for the club under Ratcliffe’s ownership. “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.”

Cantona, who inspired Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to four league titles in five years before retiring in 1997, argued that football itself is built on the contributions of immigrant communities. “Football is made — all the greatest players come from different waves of immigration,” he said. “In France, the greatest players all come from different waves of immigration. Raymond Kopa, in the fifties, was the son of Polish immigrants. Then the Italians, like Platini. And then Spanish, like me — my mother came from Spanish refugees. I cannot accept this kind of thing.”

The public rift between Ratcliffe and one of United’s most iconic former players adds to a turbulent period for the club. Michael Carrick’s side currently sit 12th in the Premier League and are not in action until after the international break.

Off the pitch, United’s accounts for the 2025/26 season have added further concern. While the figures show record revenue, debt levels at the club have increased, underlining the financial complexity facing the new ownership as they attempt to reshape one of the world’s most scrutinised football institutions.