Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to impart some wisdom to Sir Jim Ratcliffe as he prepares to lead the staggering overhaul of Manchester United.
The INEOS boss is set to take up a 25% stake in the Premier League club with an investment in the region of £1.3billion, which will also see him take sporting control with the Glazer family still the majority owners. The Brit billionaire's responsibilities will include selecting a new sporting director following the impending departure of John Murtough.
The exit of the 52-year-old follows the departure of CEO Richard Arnold after 16 years with the club. The radical shake-up of the hierarchy of the club is being addressed by Ratcliffe, whose wishlist of sporting directors includes Dougie Freedman of Crystal Palace. The Scotsman is known to be a friend of Ferguson and has been hailed for the job he's done at the South London club.
READ MORE: Man Utd's to-do list shows club is total mess – Richard Arnold's successor has work to do
READ MORE:John Murtough to leave Man Utd as cull continues ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival
While the former Palace striker is reported to be admired by the United legend, there are several other individuals that Ratcliffe is interested in for the sporting director role, according to Telegraph Sport. Atalanta’s Lee Congerton, former AC Milan pair Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara, and Atletico Madrid’s Andrea Berta are among possible candidates.
Ratcliffe may bring in Jean-Claude Blanc, a leading figure at INEOS Sport, as United's new chief executive and is someone who was previously CEO of Juventus and former marketing executive of Paris Saint-Germain. The 71-year-old has a tall order to restructure the club and is reportedly expected to turn to Ferguson for guidance ahead of the overhaul.
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That could spell good news for Freedman who used to be a neighbour of the 86-year-old in Cheshire prior to becoming sporting director at Palace in 2017. Freedman – who played for Palace in two different stints during his playing days – has been praised for his eye for talent and a bargain having brought in the likes of Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Michael Olise for around £40million.
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