Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Manchester United era: 4 leaders eliminated, squad for sale and 9 transfers.
That is the headline in the Mirror (UK) article today, May 2. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been busy with a revolutionary reform since taking over Manchester United’s football department in February. And the “red devils” will have more changes before the summer transfer window.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Manchester United revolution is well underway as Old Trafford is in a state of flux. Billionaire of INEOS petrochemical corporation Sir Jim Ratcliffe officially completed the purchase of 27.7% of Manchester United shares on February 20. He did not hesitate to make changes after being given control of all sports activities at Old Trafford by the Glazer family.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not a “novice” in the sports industry. He owns 2 football clubs, 1 cycling team and Mercedes F1 racing team. And those experiences helped Sir Jim Ratcliffe make decisive decisions at Manchester United. Sir Jim Ratcliffe explained his vision in February in an interview with Belgian newspaper De Tijd.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe said: “We have to look at the organization of the club because it is not good at the moment. Take the head coach for example, he must report directly to the CEO. That is no longer possible in a modern football organisation.
We have to make sure that the right people are in the right positions. Everyone in management has to be world class. And then it’s important to create a positive, supportive, friendly and high-quality environment. That culture was missing before. Only in such an environment can you bring out the full potential of athletes. If successful, results will automatically follow. That’s the plan and I believe in it.”
Another instructive suggestion came from Mercedes F1 team chief executive Tofo Wolff in October. “This is a no-bullshit organization,” said Tofo Wolff when asked about Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who owns 1/3 of the shares of the Mercedes F1 team, “They are very big in terms of revenue and profits. Decisions are made quickly, three bullet points on a page and here we go. With Sir Jim Ratcliffe, all the bullshit has been cut out.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his “right-hand man” Sir Dave Brailsford. PHOTO: GETTY
That policy is being implemented at MU, where four senior leaders of the club have been fired. Richard Arnold announced his departure as chief executive last November. Director of football John Murtough parted ways this month. And on Tuesday, MU announced that interim chief executive Patrick Stewart and chief financial officer Cliff Baty would leave Old Trafford at the end of this season.
With the help of INEOS’s head of sport, Sir Dave Brailsford, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has started hiring the people he wants to run MU. Man City CEO Omar Berrada will join Manchester United in July, with INEOS’s Jean-Claude Blanc taking over Berrada’s position at MU on an interim basis.
Jason Wilcox has left Southampton to take the position of technical director of MU. It is expected that Jason Wilcox will work under Dan Ashworth, after the compensation process for Ashworth’s contract between MU and Newcastle is completed. Dan Ashworth will take on the position of MU football director.
Most of the work of “replacing MU’s senior leadership team” was completed behind the scenes by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. But it will continue as coach Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford is in question. MU’s squad is also in a similar state of instability, with young stars Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Kobbie Mainoo being the three untouchables, while the remaining players can all be sold.
John Murtough is gone, will Ten Hag follow? PHOTO: GETTY
Sir Jim Ratcliffe knows MU needs to sell before it can buy when the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations are heavily affecting the Manchester team. MU spent more than £170m last summer to bring in Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana, while more than £200m was spent in the summer of 2022 to sign Casemiro, Antony, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia.
MU still has a transfer list this summer, with the purchase of a centre-back and a central striker of particular importance. MU has had difficulty in defense this season due to injuries to Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane. Anthony Martial and Varane are expected to leave after the season ends.
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi and Wolves’ Max Kilman are targets for Manchester United, but Guehi’s £55m price tag could cause problems. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also known to be a fan of Michael Olise, who is valued at £60 million by Crystal Palace.
Michael Olise is considered MU’s number 1 target in the summer transfer market. PHOTO: GETTY
Finding a striker at an affordable price could be difficult for MU, but in the past, the “red devils” have been linked with Bayern Munich duo Thomas Muller and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, as well as Bayern Munich star Serhou Guirassy. Stuttgart and Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig. Brighton’s Evan Ferguson has been a target for MU for a long time, while Newcastle’s Alexander Isak will attract a lot of attention from other clubs in the Premier League this summer.
