Man Utd to make ‘official approach’ to Prem rivals ‘this week’ for Ratcliffe’s top recruitment target

Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking to appoint Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman as their new head of recruitment, according to reports.

The British billionaire completed a deal to buy 25 per cent of the club from the Glazers last month and has now been given control of the football operation.

Ratcliffe wasted no time in appointing Omar Berrada as their new CEO, plucking him from arch-rivals Man City, while Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth is likely to become the Red Devils’ new sporting director if they can agree compensation with the Magpies.

And now Ratcliffe and INEOS are turning their attention to a new head of recruitment as the new Man Utd stakeholder looks to continue the overhaul of the transfer department.

The Independent claims that Ratcliffe ‘has accelerated plans to bring in top strategic personnel since confirming his partial takeover at Old Trafford’ with Crystal Palace’s Freedman emerging as his top target as head of recruitment.

It is understood that the Eagles are ‘braced for an official approach this week’ and INEOS believe ‘he is an ideal candidate for the structure they are building’.

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Freedman ‘has stood out for meeting a number of requirements’ and the report doesn’t expect Crystal Palace to stand in his way if he wants to pursue a move to Man Utd.

The Independent adds:

‘Freedman’s broader experience may also aid the current situation, as United want this position to be filled and in work quickly due to the fact that both of the position’s superiors – prospective technical director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Omar Berrada – have been on gardening leave.’

One person who probably won’t be happy with the potential Freedman appointment is Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand after spouting some drivel warning the Red Devils against the signing earlier this season.

“I think he lives in Manchester,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five podcast.

“His name has come out of left field for me, I’ve got to be honest. I don’t remember anyone going, ‘Wow! Look at what Palace are doing!’ in terms of recruitment.

“Like, Paul Mitchell I get it, he’s had a history of doing good things that people [take notice of]. Michael Edwards and Julian Ward, they’ve got some body of work that people have recognised. Even Dan Ashworth with what he did at England and Brighton and now Newcastle. You can understand [links to them].

“But no disrespect, no-one has ever said to me at Palace, ‘Wow there’s a load of players that have come here’.

“Listen, [Eberechi] Eze, [Michael] Olise and [Marc] Guehi, they’re three players that you go “yeah ok” but that’s over the last two years.

“But for every one of those, there’s a couple of others where you go, ‘Wow, what happened there? Who was that?’

“And I’m not saying everyone gets everything right but they haven’t got the reputation that makes you go, ‘Oh, I get that’.”