Ratcliffe ‘ready’ to ‘invest’ with Man Utd bid for Arsenal target who ‘ticks’ INEOS ‘box’ mooted
According to reports, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is “ready” to “pay a big fee” to beat Arsenal in the race to sign Evan Ferguson.
Ratcliffe recently purchased a 27.7% stake in Man Utd and as part of this deal, he has taken control of footballing matters at Old Trafford. One of his priorities is to overhaul their recruitment structure with several signings eyed ahead of next season.
“He’ll very much see a higher fee as an investment…”
Man Utd have already appointed Omar Berrada as their new chief executive, while they are also eyeing Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcow for their new-look recruitment team.
They will be tasked with signing a new striker in the summer as Man Utd are currently short of options in that department. Rasmus Hojlind has been one of their shining lights this term but Erik ten Hag has had to be too overreliant on the 21-year-old during the striker’s debut season.
If Man Utd can find a way around their Financial Fair Play issues, they are expected to pursue a new striker and they are being linked with Ferguson, who is also reportedly being eyed by Arsenal.
The 19-year-old has emerged as one of the best young strikers in Europe. Despite being without a Premier League goal in 15 games, he has eight goal involvements in his 36 appearances this term across all competitions.
It has previously been suggested that Ferguson could cost as much as £100m but journalist Ben Jacobs believes Man Utd are more likely to offer £70-80m.
“I think that from Manchester United’s point of view, they wouldn’t be starting anywhere near £100 million if they proceed with Evan Ferguson, it would probably be more in the region of £70 to £80 million, which I suppose is relatively close to the package that they ended up paying for Rasmus Hojlund,” Jacobs told GiveMeSport.
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“And what’s interesting about Ratcliffe is that he doesn’t plan on looking at numbers only in terms of whether they’re high or low. With younger profiles, he’ll very much see a higher fee as an investment, not an expense , because the player will have longevity at the football club over several seasons, but more importantly, the wages by Manchester United standards might be comparatively low.
“So Ratcliffe is prepared should Manchester United be able to, under financial fair play and profit and sustainability rules, pay these big fees, providing he gets value and longevity from the player. And I think that Evan Ferguson does tick that box.”
“Two possibilities in that midfield position…”
Jacobs has also suggested that Wolves’ Joao Gomes and Leicester City’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have emerged as transfer “possibilities” for the summer.
“We should be clear that the priority position at Manchester United as of now, and things can change, but right now is a striker,” Jacobs said.
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“The midfield and the defence will determine who goes and how much funding comes in. Joao Gomes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are two possibilities in that midfield position. The advantage of both is that they’ve got Premier League experience.
“Gomes is playing well for Wolves, and Dewsbury-Hall is in excellent form for Leicester after scoring 11 goals and providing 13 assists in the Championship. He’s left-footed and can play defensive midfield, central midfield or attacking midfield. Manchester United are in the early stages of drawing up a shortlist.”
