Ratcliffe seeks advice from legendary manager
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire who is set to buy a 25 percent stake in Manchester United, will consult Sir Alex Ferguson before appointing a new sporting director at the club. Ratcliffe, who is the founder and chairman of Ineos, is expected to complete his deal in the coming days and will take charge of the sporting operations at Old Trafford. He plans to overhaul the club’s recruitment strategy and bring in a new sporting director to replace John Murtough, who will leave his post in December.
Ratcliffe is a huge admirer of Ferguson, who led United to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies during his 27-year reign. He will seek the guidance of the legendary manager on some matters, including the selection of the new sporting director. Ferguson’s input could be crucial in shaping the future of the club, which has been in decline since his retirement in 2013.
Freedman among the candidates
One of the names who could benefit from Ferguson’s involvement is Dougie Freedman, the current sporting director of Crystal Palace. Freedman is a long-term ally of Ferguson and was mentored by him during his playing and coaching career. He played under Ferguson at United in the 1990s and later worked as a scout for him. He also managed Bolton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest before joining Palace in 2017.
Freedman has been praised for his work at Palace, where he has overseen the development of several young talents, such as Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Eberechi Eze. He has also helped the club sign some bargain players, such as Vicente Guaita, Gary Cahill and James McCarthy. He could bring his expertise and network to United and help them identify and recruit the best players for the club.
Other names in the mix
Freedman is not the only candidate for the sporting director role at United. Ratcliffe has also been impressed by some of the other names in the market, such as Paolo Maldini, Lee Congerton, Ricky Massara, Andrea Berta and Jean-Claude Blanc.
Maldini is a former AC Milan legend who served as the sporting director of the Italian club for five years before being sacked in June. He helped Milan win the Serie A title in 2022 and was responsible for signing some of the best players in Europe, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Theo Hernandez and Franck Kessie.
Congerton is the head of recruitment at Atalanta, the surprise package of the Serie A and the Champions League. He has a wealth of experience in scouting and recruitment, having worked at Celtic, Leicester City, West Brom and Chelsea. He has been instrumental in finding and signing some of the most exciting players in Italy, such as Duvan Zapata, Luis Muriel and Robin Gosens.
Massara is another former Milan chief who was dismissed along with Maldini in June. He was the right-hand man of Maldini and played a key role in the club’s resurgence in the past few years. He has also worked at Roma and Fiorentina and has a good knowledge of the Italian and European markets.
Berta is the sporting director of Atletico Madrid, one of the most successful clubs in Spain and Europe. He has been at the club for 10 years and has helped them win two La Liga titles, two Europa League trophies and reach two Champions League finals. He has also been involved in some of the biggest transfers in the club’s history, such as Antoine Griezmann, Diego Costa and Joao Felix.
Blanc is a leading figure at Ineos Sport, the sports division of Ratcliffe’s company. He is the president of Nice, the French club owned by Ineos, and has also worked at Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and the French Football Federation. He has a strong background in management and administration and could bring his expertise and vision to United.
A new era for United
The appointment of a new sporting director could mark the beginning of a new era for United, who have been struggling to compete with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in recent years. The club has been criticised for its lack of direction and coherence in its transfer policy and has wasted millions of pounds on some poor signings.
Ratcliffe, who is a lifelong United fan, is determined to change that and restore the club to its former glory. He has a proven track record of success in business and sports and has the resources and ambition to make United a dominant force again. He will also work closely with the manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has the backing of the fans and the players.
With the help of Ferguson and a new sporting director, Ratcliffe could usher in a new golden age for United and bring back the trophies and the glory to Old Trafford.
