INEOS Group chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe pictured during the signing of an investment pact between chemicals group Ineos and the Antwerp harbor, Tuesday 15 January 2019 in Antwerp. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo credit should read DIRK WAEM/AFP via Getty Images) (Image: DIRK WAEM/AFP via Getty Images)
Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, Manchester United is reorganizing its recruitment department and is expected to adopt a new strategy in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United is trying to improve their much-maligned hiring process by utilizing super agent Jorge Mendes’ contact book.
As he continues to revamp the Old Trafford scouting network, new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has met with Mendes, who represents a plethora of elite players, including Pedro Neto, Darwin Nunez, Cristiano Ronaldo, and former United manager Jose Mourinho.
Jason Wilcox of Southampton has been appointed Technical Director, and Dan Ashworth is departing Newcastle United to take on the role of Sporting Director. Ratcliffe, who believes that the team’s recruitment policy has been costly and flawed, plans to take a more hands-on approach to signing new players.
He wants to be able to take advantage of the Portuguese player’s wealth of experience and has quickly realized that Mendes is a major player in the transfer scene. Mendes has helped Wolves secure their spot in the Premier League by signing several players, and Nottingham Forest has also relied significantly on him.
In what will be a busy summer for Ashworth and company, United now want to follow suit while Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, a Mendes player, is on the Old Trafford wish list. The 19-year-old, a Portugal international already, is thought to fit the Ratcliffe mold as a developing young player eager to contribute.
Rafael Leao, an AC Milan forward, is another Mendes client who has been linked to United, but his arrival is less likely than Neves’ because of his asking price of about £100 million.
Ratcliffe stated earlier this month that signing the biggest players wasn’t his only goal. He clarified, “It’s not where our focus is.”
Portuguese super-gent Jorge Mendes could hold the cards in Manchester United’s summer transfer business. ( Image: JACK TAYLOR/AFP via Getty Images))
“Investing a large sum of money on a select group of outstanding players is not the answer. Over the past ten years, they have done that.
“Putting the right people in the right positions to manage and organize the club and making sure that recruitment is done correctly should be our first priorities. Recruiting new players is such an important aspect of managing a football team these days.”
