This could be the most important summer for Manchester United since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became a part-owner. They need to free up money to make some big moves.
As Manchester United get ready to raise money for a summer shopping trip, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said that he wants to find the next Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Roy Keane.
Ratcliffe was officially named United’s co-owner in February. The club had already confirmed the deal, but it had to be approved by the Premier League first.
The millionaire will be in charge of football for the first time during the summer transfer window. However, their moves could be affected by how badly they’re doing in the league this season.
There is a good chance that United will not play in the Champions League next season. With six games left, they are 13 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa. Ratcliffe said in February that the club “really, really want” to make it to the event, and he said that if they don’t, there could be a change.
A lacklustre showing in the league has made people talk about Erik ten Hag’s future. No matter if the Dutchman stays or leaves, though, six stars who cost a total of £232 million could be leaving in the next window.
“I’d rather find the next Mbappe than spend a fortune trying to buy success,” Ratcliffe said in March on The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club Podcast (via Sky Sports). “It’s not really that smart to buy Mbappe, is it?”
“Anyone could figure that out,” he said. “Much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or Jude Bellingham or the next Roy Keane.”
“We’re not focusing on that; buying a few great players for a lot of money is not the answer.” That’s what they’ve done for ten years. Before we do anything else, we need to make sure we hire the right people and put them in charge of running and organising the club. Finding new players is such an important part of running a sports club these days.
Not all of the upcoming summer exits are expected to bring in a lot of money, but there is a chance to cut the pay bill before making more investments. Anthony Martial, a high-paid forward, is likely to leave when his contract is up, and Antony, a winger who joined from Ajax for £86 million, could also leave soon after.
Mason Greenwood is likely to leave for good after a year on loan at Getafe, and winger Amad is also likely to leave after having a hard time getting playing time under Ten Hag. Facundo Pellistri and Jadon Sancho are two more players who could leave, as they are currently out on loan.
However, there have been rumours that Sancho, who is on loan from Borussia Dortmund, might still have a future at Old Trafford.
Jason Wilcox, who used to teach Sancho’s Manchester City under-18s, is one of Ratcliffe’s goals as he tries to rebuild United’s background team.
The 53-year-old, who is currently at Southampton, is said to still like Sancho, even though the England player had a disagreement with boss Ten Hag early in the 2023–24 season.
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