Man Utd: Ratcliffe reveals possibility of signing Mbappe, Bellingham as he makes ‘next Roy Keane’ claim
New Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists he “would rather find the next Kylian Mbappe” than “spend a fortune” on the finished article.
The British billionaire completed a deal last month to buy 25 per cent of the Red Devils from the Glazers and has taken charge of the football operation as part of the agreement.
Ratcliffe: I would rather find the next Kylian Mbappe
Ratcliffe and INEOS are looking to revamp the recruitment department at Man Utd with Omar Berrada coming in as the new CEO and Newcastle’s Dan Ashoworth being lined up for the sporting director role.
Man Utd have been criticised over the last decade, since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, for wasting money on several big signings without getting anywhere near value for money.
Paul Pogba, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire, as well as others, have come in for huge sums of money but failed to live up to their billing and Ratlcliffe wants to put a stop to that.
And the new Man Utd co-owner has suggested he has little interest in signing established world-class stars and would rather target the next generation of top players.
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When asked whether he would rather sign Tadej Pogačar for his INEOS cycling team or Real Madrid-bound Mbappe for Man Utd, Ratcliffe told the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast: “What I would rather do, I would rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune to just try and buy success.
“It’s not that clever, is it? Buying Mbappe. In a way. Anyone could figure that one out. But what is much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or the next [Jude] Bellingham or the next Roy Keane.”
Ratcliffe: We must make sure we get recruitment right
INEOS cyclist Thomas suggested the idea of Bellingham signing for Man Utd, despite admitting there is ‘no chance’ of the Red Devils striking a deal, to which Ratcliffe replied: “He’s a great footballer [but] it’s not where our focus is,’ Ratcliffe said.
“The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players. They’ve done that, if you look at the last 10 years.
“The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes, managing and organising the club.
“We must make sure we get recruitment right, such a vital part of running a football club is getting recruitment right, finding new players.”
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