Jim Ratcliffe’s potential Man Utd investment assessed | Football Digest
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to inherit total sporting control at Manchester United once his £1.3billion deal for 25 per cent of the club is complete. INEOS’ arrival will introduce a fresh working environment that Erik ten Hag will have to adapt to if he’s to last as the club’s manager.
Ten Hag has held significant power since his appointment last summer, with the vast majority of his 14 signings at Old Trafford his targets rather than the club’s.
United chief executive Richard Arnold vowed to refrain from getting too involved like Ed Woodward, who oversaw a decade of mediocrity after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
But leaving recruitment almost solely down to Ten Hag and football director John Murtough has created issues that have become more prominent amid a dreadful start to the season.
Things are bound to be different once Sir Jim gets his foot in the door. Arnold is reportedly expected to leave his role, for starters, and Murtough could well be not too far behind him.
Sir Jim is said to have been heavily critical of United’s recent recruitment during his visit to Old Trafford and Carrington in March.
It’s been clear since then that change would be afoot if he beat Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani to reach an agreement with the Glazer family.
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A new sporting director is likely to be among the new appointments Sir Jim will look to make in preparation for the 2024 summer transfer window.
And with that, he will plan to oversee a more streamlined sporting department featuring a different transfer approach.
Such a move would leave one of Ten Hag’s planned transfers in jeopardy, having already convinced to move United into action late this summer.
United recruited Sofyan Amrabat on deadline day, signing him on a season-long loan worth £8.5million with the option of a £21.5m permanent deal.
But Amrabat has been inconsistent since landing in Manchester. In Sunday’s derby defeat, Ten Hag hauled him off at half-time for the second time in six days.
United legend Peter Schmeichel blasted the 27-year-old’s display, telling Premier League Productions: “Amrabat was so far off the pace Man City basically could do whatever they wanted.”
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According to the Manchester Evening News, some figures at United won’t be surprised by his struggles, having not been convinced by Amrabat when Ten Hag requested his capture.
One senior figure allegedly dismissed his impressive 2022 World Cup performance with Morocco. He is also among those whom Ten Hag has a history with, coaching him at Utrecht.
That divisive attitude will be exactly what Sir Jim plans to stamp out by having a clear plan in place. Ten Hag can remain at the forefront, sure.
But he must work with a sporting director, potentially Paul Mitchell, and a chief executive with football experience, potentially Jean-Claude Blanc, to agree on targets.
And they will soon have the power to veto a permanent move for Amrabat if he continues struggling to impress.
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