Ratcliffe was physically in attendance to watch United at Old Trafford on Sunday, for the first time since his deal to complete a partial 25% stake in the Red Devils was announced.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw.

Goals from Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford ensured the spoils were split between the two sides.

Before the match, Ratcliffe spoke to reporters and was questioned about a number of things including when his deal with the Glazers will be ratified by the Premier League, whether he will have a say on United’s January transfers and if he will be regularly attending games.

He explained that his investment will be made official in the coming weeks.

The INEOS billionaire refused to comment on whether he’ll have an influence on United’s activities on the market this month.

He insisted that he will be attending as many games as possible, although he may miss a few others due to his other important obligations.

United have confirmed via the club’s official website, that Ratcliffe took the initiative to have a conversation with fan representatives and local community leaders in Manchester on Monday.

“On Monday, Sir Jim met members of the club’s Fans’ Advisory Board and leaders of the independent Manchester United Supporters’ Trust at Old Trafford to introduce himself and hear fans’ perspective. He also held a video meeting with the club’s larger Fans’ Forum.”

“Later, he met a range of local civic leaders from Trafford and Greater Manchester to discuss United’s role in the local community and the potential redevelopment of Old Trafford.”

According to The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell, the British businessman was accompanied by Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc.

It’s believed that the talks went well.

MUST met with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford, Jean-Claude Blanc and senior club officials today in Manchester. The trio also met the Fans' Advisory Board. And met local community leaders. Told by people at the various meetings that they went well.

— Andy Mitten (@AndyMitten) January 15, 2024

While it’s an extremely low bar, Ratcliffe is already putting the Glazers to shame with his willingness to engage supporters and communicate openly and effectively.

For years, the American family have treated the fans with disdain. Ratcliffe is certainly a much-needed breath of fresh air.

The post Sir Jim Ratcliffe meets with fans and local community leaders appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

In November last year, United officially confirmed that Richard Arnold had stepped down from his role as the club’s CEO.

Patrick Stewart who was already serving as the Red Devils’ general counsel was appointed to temporarily replace Arnold on an interim basis.

Following the announcement on Christmas Eve that the Glazers had struck a deal with Sir Jim Ratcliffe over a partial 25% investment, the INEOS billionaire accompanied by his close confidant Sir Dave Brailsford held a series of meetings at Old Trafford and Carrington last week.

Ratcliffe and Brailsford also met Erik ten Hag and some of the players from both the men’s and women’s teams.

According to The Athletic, Stewart also engaged in dialogue with Ratcliffe and Brailsford. However, it’s still expected that United will bring in a new permanent CEO.

During the takeover process and even as Ratcliffe awaits the ratification of his deal by the Premier League before starting work at the club, Blanc has widely been tipped to be the leading candidate to become United’s next CEO.

However, as per The Athletic, this is not the case.

“Blanc, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus executive, has been mooted as a potential candidate and was thought to be under consideration. But numerous sources at United and INEOS, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, have poured cold water on that idea.”

“Across meetings in recent weeks, Blanc’s role has been portrayed as somebody club staff can expect to see a lot of around the place, but the expectation is he will very much be there as a representative of INEOS, its eyes and ears, rather than becoming the new chief executive.”

Dan Sheldon points out that since United appointed Martin Edwards as its first chief executive in 1982, all others who have succeeded him have come about from within the club – Peter Kenyon, David Gill, Woodward, Arnold and Stewart already held key roles at United before receiving promotions to become CEO.

It’s believed that the current process will consider both internal and external candidates.

The Athletic explains that the Red Devils will enlist the services of a headhunter firm to lead the way. Jonathan Smith, a consultant at executive recruitment firm Spencer Stuart spoke to the newspaper and gave some insight into what the process of appointing a CEO for the 20-time English champions could look like.

He remarked, “The first thing we do, and spend a lot of time on, is asking the nominations committee, the board or the owners what the job is.”

“We will typically hold one-to-one meetings with the owners, the board and all the stakeholders to try and tease out an understanding of what the job is. We will write a job spec, and that can take a couple of weeks. This defines where you might look (for candidates), so you start thinking about where you can find people with that experience and capability and you begin to map out broad sectors you might find that in.”

“The spec dictates the search strategy, and the search strategy, to make it simple, is a list of sectors and within that list is a list of companies and within those companies a list of people. The search then effectively becomes the art of elimination: if you put all of those sectors, companies and people into a hopper and you sieve them through the specification, then people get eliminated because they won’t meet enough of it.”

Stuart insisted, “Eventually, you end up with a group who meet most of it, and they are the people you start to talk to and look at. That might be a list of eight or 10 people, and then you look at them in detail and bring it down to four or five, which becomes the shortlist, and then the client/football club will have a lot of time with those four or five people and ultimately pick one.”

The Athletic however clarify that ultimately, the final decision will be made by United’s public limited company (PLC) board.

The club’s PLC board consists of the six Glazer siblings, interim CEO Stewart and chief financial officer Cliff Baty. There are also Robert Leitao, Manu Sawhney and John Hooks, who all serve as independent directors.

INEOS also boast of an additional two seats on the PLC board. These will be taken up by John Reece and Rob Levin.

Brailsford and Blanc are poised to become directors on United’s football board.

The post The Athletic: Man United and INEOS sources “pour cold water” on likelihood of Jean-Claude Blanc becoming club’s next CEO appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United were on the end of a 2-0 defeat in the first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium early in the season.

No doubt Erik ten Hag will be looking for revenge against Ange Postecoglou’s men in addition to getting his side back to winning ways in the Premier League after their 2-1 loss at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

United will be heading into the game with confidence after beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 in the third round of the FA Cup at the DW Stadium.

Present at the venue was Ratcliffe’s close confidant, Sir Dave Brailsford.

Brailsford was also accompanied by Jean-Claude Blanc, who is widely expected to be United’s net CEO after Richard Arnold stepped down.

The pair were pictured seated alongside ex-United chief executive David Gill.

Unlike Brailsford who has attended all of United’s games since it was announced that INEOS and the Glazers had reached an agreement over a partial 25% investment into United, Ratcliffe has never physically attended a match to see Erik ten Hag’s men in action.

Last week, the British billionaire and Brailsford held a series of meetings with non-playing staff at both Old Trafford and Carrington.

It’s believed that they also sat down with Ten Hag and met some players from both the men’s and women’s teams.

According to The Daily Mail, “Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to watch Manchester United for the first time since finalising a deal to buy 25 per cent of the club when Erik Ten Hag’s side welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford on Sunday.”

“The 61-year-old is a lifelong United fan and was at the Nou Camp when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side won the Treble in unforgettable circumstances against Bayern Munich in 1999.”

“Ratcliffe has been talking to senior United staff regularly and is expected to attend games on a frequent basis, with Brailsford planning to be at most matches.”

In contrast, Avram Glazer last attended a United fixture in February, when the Red Devils beat Newcastle at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.

Joel Glazer has not been at the Theatre of Dreams since United’s Champions League quarter-final clash vs. Barcelona half a decade ago.

After the Wigan match, Diogo Dalot told reporters that Ratcliffe is already making a difference at the club and restoring a feel-good factor. It’s easy to see why this is indeed the case.

The post Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to be present at Old Trafford this weekend to watch Man United vs. Tottenham Hotspur appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

After 13 months of dragging the takeover process, United confirmed on Christmas Eve that the Glazers had struck a deal for Ratcliffe to complete a partial 25% investment into the club.

The arrangement which is worth around £1.3 billion, will see Ratcliffe get full control of United’s sporting operations.

The INEOS billionaire is waiting for the Premier League to ratify his investment before he can officially start work at the Old Trafford outfit.

Last week, Ratcliffe and his close confidant, Sir Dave Brailsford, held a series of meetings with United’s non-playing staff at both Carrington and Old Trafford.

They also met Erik ten Hag and some of the players from both the men’s and women’s teams.

While most fans were pleased that the takeover had come to an end, the timing of the deal was peculiar. Gary Neville slammed the move to issue the announcement on Christmas Eve and explained that it wasn’t well thought out.

Kieran Maguire spoke to Football Insider and said that while the timing was shocking, it’s hardly surprising considering the Glazers and their reputation for only considering their own interests.

He said, “I was dressed up as Father Christmas when the takeover was announced.”

“The disgraceful timing of it all is indicative of the failure of the Glazers to take anybody’s priorities into consideration other than their own.”

“It has taken 13 months for the deal to get this far, the only reason it had to be announced at 4pm on Christmas Eve was that they wanted to put through the documents to the New York Stock Market on time on Boxing Day.”

“The lawyers certainly won’t complain and for the Glazers it’s one step closer to getting paid and getting their hands on cash.”

Maguire added, “It will be dressed up as a Christmas present for United fans but the timing represents the contempt the Glazers have for the club and the fans.”

All eyes are now on the Premier League and when they’ll give the green light to INEOS to finally get started at United.

The post Finance expert reveals reason behind Glazers’ “disgraceful” timing to announce Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

While the INEOS owner is currently awaiting approval from the Premier League on his minority stake ownership bid, he is already putting things in place in the background ahead of the ratification confirmation.

An internal audit is being conducted by Sir Dave Brailsford, the head of the INEOS sporting team, which will decide exactly where INEOS will begin their revolution at Old Trafford.

A new sporting director and a recruitment specialist are also being targeted, with Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell the front runners for the former and latter respectively.

United are currently feeling the squeeze of Financial Fair Play, however. The club are operating close to their limits and, consequently, are thought to be solely focused on loan deals in the January window.

The INEOS owner is adamant these constraints will not exist come the summer, however.

Jacque Talbot (Football.Transfers) reveals Ratcliffe has “expressed his intention” to provide additional investment to “create more wriggle room under FFP regulations.”

It would enable United to increase their “allowable losses from £15 million to £105 million over the relevant accounting period.”

Such a financial manoeuvre would have a significant impact on the club’s spending capability this summer. The Glazers have never invested their own money into the club and this could be a hallmark summer for the club.

Talbot believes the injection by Ratcliffe could enable United to spend between “£200 to £300 million on player acquisitions” – a budget that wouldn’t look out of place in the Saudi Pro League.

This amount can then be supplemented by funds generated through departures from Old Trafford.

Talbot believes John Murtough’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia may prove fruitful in the summer, with a number of United stars linked to the Saudi League. 

The INEOS approach to recruitment will centre around “homegrown talent” and “Premier League-proven players.” Talbot reveals United’s new sporting controllers believe a combination will “strengthen the club’s position for the immediate and distant future.”

He references Michael Olise and Jarrad Branthwaite as potential targets who fit this mould. Given the fees mooted for both players, United will need every penny of Ratcliffe’s cash injection this summer.

The post INEOS investment to give Manchester United a war chest this summer appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Sir Dave Brailsford – the director of the INEOS sporting team and the man tasked with being Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s eyes and ears at Old Trafford – underlined the expectation of a return to “world-class” standards in a club meeting with United’s staff. He described how every staff member should be “committed to their personal improvement” while assuring them meaningful change was coming.

The former director of British cycling is well-known for his ‘marginal gains’ approach, but a source close to Brailsford, who is also knowledgeable of the current situation at United, reveals this particular tenet will be a “long way down the list” at Old Trafford. “There is a lot of work to be done before that,” the source reveals.

It appears not so much a case of marginal gains in the early days of the INEOS revolution, but rather a process of careful observation followed by significant change, which will begin from the top down.

The Athletic reveal Brailsford has “already identified the potential need for both a sporting director and recruitment specialist”, with informal discussions already being held with prospective candidates.

Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell are the two most reported figures for both roles (the former as sporting director and the latter as head of recruitment) but sources within Old Trafford insist no formal approaches have been made. Andrea Berta – the man who has helped Atletico Madrid become part of the ‘big three’ in La Liga – is also a candidate for the director role, while Julian Ward (formerly of Liverpool) and Dougie Freedman (Crystal Palace) are considered for the recruitment position.

Before a decision is made on either role, however, Brailsford believes it is essential for the club to establish its identity. The sporting director, head of recruitment and the manager can then work in “total unison” towards a common goal. This lack of coherency has too often reared its ugly head in the post-Ferguson malaise with Old Trafford a hotbed for impulsive reactivity, rather than anything resembling a proactive plan.

Those who have worked closely with Brailsford, speaking to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity, believe this is the area where he will excel. “[He] can add real value…in getting departments to link up to a much greater degree,” they revealed.

Brailsford explained this non-negotiable component of success in a speech on leadership three months ago: “Disciplined collaboration on a certain topic, otherwise you are wasting resource, time and effort.” Those final five words would aptly encapsulate the last ten years at Old Trafford.

The INEOS director is quick to admit he is a footballing novice. His technical expertise lies in cycling but he believes the lessons learned in how to construct a successful sporting team are malleable. “I will never be a domain expert in football,” Brailsford reveals. But overseeing a successful operation is often as much about putting the right people in the right places as it is your own personal contributions.

Jean-Claude Blanc is expected to take on the chief executive role at Old Trafford. The Frenchman has a wealth of experience, having previously been in the same position at Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, with great success in both.

Whether it is Ashworth or Berta appointed as the sporting director, or Mitchell, Ward or Freedman as the recruitment specialist, is almost trivial. The fact either position will be filled by a candidate who have thrived in that exact role elsewhere offers profound improvement upon the people they will be replacing at Old Trafford. They, like Blanc, are the “domain experts in football.”

Brailsford, in his role as the director of INEOS Sport (which encompasses Formula 1, cycling, sailing, rugby, running and, finally, football), is a “domain expert” in overseeing and bringing together different departments. His long-term role at Old Trafford is to synergise a group of football experts, rather than become one himself.

In the short-term, however, Brailsford will be a keen observer.

The INEOS mentality in the first few months of their stewardship (while they await ratification from the Premier League) is reported to be “look, listen, learn.” United’s new sporting leaders cannot execute any decisions while this process is underway but, as Brailsford contended in the staff meeting at Old Trafford, the “INEOS era would begin properly” once it was complete.

This approval process is expected to take around six weeks, giving a confirmation date some time in February.

During this period, Brailsford will conduct a comprehensive audit of the processes and structures in place at United. He will then report back to Ratcliffe the areas INEOS need to focus on upon their official instalment.

A source who knows Brailsford’s working practices believes his analysis will be thorough: “He will assess things. He will work out who is any good in there, and there will be an understanding of why departments are doing what they’re doing, if what they’re doing is of use, and if it’s cohesive.”

If something is deemed to not have a use, it will be discarded. If it does have a use, it will be encouraged and promoted.

One aspect of the INEOS identity for United which is sacrosanct will be the expectation of success. “We aim to win. We don’t try to compete, we set ourselves the challenge of winning,” Brailsford asserted in a recent speech.

He is  adamant United must return to their position as the pinnacle of English football and one of the leading clubs in Europe. A confidant of the director reveals, “He thinks there should be no next step after Man United, it should be the elite of the elite.” A revolution in expectations as much as day-to-day processes.

Brailsford’s words will be music to the ears of United fans who have seen a decade of mismanagement transform their club from a heavyweight with a knockout punch into a featherweight who’s more of a punchline in the pub.

Vive la révolution.

The post “Elite of the elite”: the mentality INEOS will instil at Old Trafford appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Manchester United fans’ dream of the Glazer family relinquishing control of their club is not over, but merely postponed.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS recently bought 25% of Manchester United which left many fans disappointed that the Glazers still sitting with majority control of the club.

However, The Athletic have taken a deep dive into the nitty-gritty of the deal and have come to the conclusion that Ratcliffe will most likely be working toward full ownership. They have consulted several experts about the small print in the 241-page agreement struck between the Glazers and Sir Jim.

The experts generally agreed that the shared ownership deal is designed not to be forever and most said that it gave Ratcliffe a path to full control.

The Athletic says, “their partnership has been designed to conclude in one of two ways: Ratcliffe/INEOS buying enough Glazer shares to take full control or the 100 per cent sale of the club to a third party at a very high price”.

“Andrew Green, a United fan and the head of investment at UK private equity firm Rockpool, said he believes there are two parts of the proposed deal … that signpost where this is heading”.

1) Right of First Offer (ROFO)

Ratcliffe’s right of first offer allows him to make the first bid if any shares are made available for sale. It’s different from a right of refusal, where, say Ratcliffe is allowed to simply match the best bid made. But it does, to all intents and purposes, allow him to set the price that has to be beaten. And we know this will be a high price because already “Ratcliffe has been allowed to set a minimum buy-in price of $33 (£26) a share, which is a 65 per cent premium on the current share price of $20”.

2) “Minority protections” given to Ratcliffe

This states that anyone buying the Glazers’ shares “would have to honour the deal the American family has just struck with Ratcliffe”, by having control of the club’s sports department and appointing two directors on the main board.

Green states that, “if you take those two together, the ROFO with that high minimum price plus the minority protection if there’s a change of voting power, this deal envisages Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking over at some point in the future”.

What this means is, supposing someone like another Sheikh Jassim wanted to buy 100% of United: first of all, they would have to bid a higher price for the shares than Ratcliffe would bid (and he has already promised to bid at least $33 a share when they are only worth $20). Second, even if they did pay that huge amount, the deal is that Sir Jim and INEOS would still retain control of the football operation unless he, too, agreed to be bought out. This puts him in almost full control of what happens, or, as Green adds:

“I think the whole agreement has been set up so that it ends up with Ratcliffe in total control”.

The experts were also interested in a couple of other nuances of the deal. First, it was noted that “it is not an accident that the Glazers have all sold exactly the same number of shares to Ratcliffe — 4,591,366 each — and not the same percentage of the shares” because they possess slightly different amounts. This is important because it opens the door for some Glazers to sell more (or all) of their shares to him, even if Joel and Avram refuse to sell theirs. The rest of the family have enough shares that if he picked them off, Ratcliffe could become the majority shareholder without Joel and Avram agreeing to sell any more of their shares at all.

Once again, “the agreement he has struck makes it far, far easier for him to buy them out in the future than for anyone else to do it”.

The final point is that some of the experts believe Sir Jim’s 25% can creep up and up in that or other ways, until he has a majority. It is already agreed in the document that his investment this year in Old Trafford of nearly $300 million will be rewarded with shares, already raising his percentage to 29%.

Unlike in the UK, crucially, “there is nothing to stop him under U.S. law, which is the relevant jurisdiction for an NYSE-listed company, from increasing his shareholding above 30 per cent in stages”.

Therefore, as he invests more and more into the club, both by buying class A shares and injecting more money into projects like the stadium, he can acquire a bigger share until it tips over the 50% mark that gives him the majority.

Ratcliffe’s path to controlling ownership is long and winding and there is no legal guarantee it will happen, but it is there. The deal agreed between INEOS and the Glazers has set in place a few factors that significantly favour Sir Jim taking on a bigger role down the line.

As The Athletic state, “while the Glazers have been dreadful custodians of Manchester United, they are not stupid. They know Ratcliffe will want the lot at some point and once he has figured out what the club needs from him, squared away concerns from INEOS’s bondholders about possible threats to their investments and made all the tax arrangements that are customary for billionaires, he will make them offers they will not refuse”.

The post Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s pathway to full control explained appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Craig Hope (Daily Mail) believes there is a “chance [Ashworth] could yet leave” the Tyneside club and it is that possibility which has led to the radio silence from Newcastle on the situation.

Hope is the North Eastern correspondent for the Daily Mail and, as such, has a wealth of contacts within St James’ Park. He contends the lack of response – “on or off the record” – is an attempt to “kill the speculation.”

Instead, Hope reveals there is “increase chatter in football circles” of United being optimistic of landing Ashworth as their new sporting director.

As explained in a report by The Peoples Person, Ashworth is likely to be accompanied by Paul Mitchell in a ‘Head of Recruitment’ capacity.

The combination would constitute a drastic “revamp” of how United’s executive structure is composed after a decade of inept profligacy which has seen the club invest over a £1 billion with shockingly little to show for it.

United are thought to hold a “long-standing interest” in Ashworth, having previously offered him a role at the club in February 2022, prior to his relocation to Newcastle from Brighton.

In fact, this offer stemmed from a personal recommendation made by Sir Alex Ferguson to Richard Arnold, the recently-vacated Chief Executive at Old Trafford. Arnold was conducting an internal audit of United, focusing on recruitment, and sought the advice of the great Scot.

Ferguson’s response was as salient as it was succinct: scrutinise John Murtough and hire Ashworth.

Arnold, in a moment of incompetence which should surprise no United fan, offered Ashworth a position reporting to Murtough, rather than as a replacement. Ashworth rejected the role and agreed to join Newcastle shortly after.

The Tyneside club’s success in the transfer market the year after his appointment – which saw Newcastle sign Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak for roughly the same amount Murtough haphazardly sanctioned on Casemiro and Antony – proves Ferguson’s grasp of football is as strong now as it was when he retired.

However, Hope believes Ashworth may be frustrated by the “process driven” structure at St James’ Park, which requires sign-off by the PIF (Newcastle’s owners). The reporter posits whether the level of control and influence Ashworth anticipated when making the journey north has not quite matched up in reality.

Hope concludes Ashworth is likely to be “tempted by an offer from Old Trafford” given United may be willing to give him the “keys to the kingdom.” Given Ashworth’s close friendship with Sir Dave Brailsford, the INEOS Director of Sport, he appears a natural fit for the role.

The post Manchester United “confident” of luring Dan Ashworth to Old Trafford appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Under manager Erik ten Hag’s tutelage, the Red Devils have lost 14 games so far this season while exiting both the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

United conceded the second-most goals in Europe en route to their humiliating exit and have let in three or more goals nine times thus far, with five of them coming at Old Trafford.

United’s woeful season so far

Things have been equally woeful up front, with only newly-promoted Sheffield United and Burnley scoring less than United 20 games into the season.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s entry as a minority stakeholder could not have come at a more challenging time with the Glazers bleeding the club dry and letting the infrastructure and the entire first team to rot.

The British billionaire is aware of the massive challenges that await him and INEOS are currently undertaking an internal audit of the club to better understand how to approach this herculean task.

Ratcliffe was at Carrington today to meet Ten Hag and the players for the first time since his £1.3bn investment was announced. Also spoke to staff at the training ground, as well as having two more hours of meetings at OT #mufc https://t.co/HzEOB9keOf

— Chris Wheeler (@ChrisWheelerDM) January 3, 2024

Unlike the American family, the INEOS chairman wants to take a more hands-on approach and was already spotted at Old Trafford as he undertook a visit of the club’s facilities.

Now as per ESPN and The Daily Mail, the boyhood United fan spent some time meeting the players and the staff while also holding other separate meetings.

“Ratcliffe was at Carrington today to meet Ten Hag and the players for the first time since his £1.3bn investment was announced.

Ratcliffe meets players and EtH

“Also spoke to staff at the training ground, as well as having two more hours of meetings at OT,” Chris Wheeler wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

INEOS plan to weed out the non-performing players in due course but for now, Ratcliffe must have implored his players to try and give it their all to salvage what has been a disastrous season.

Ideally, Ratcliffe’s first full season in charge of the club’s sporting structure will see them play in Europe and for that to happen, the players need to pull together and support the manager.

Ten Hag’s future is also not safe but injuries have hampered the season and with players slowly returning to fitness, results might pick up or he might not be there in the hot-seat for much longer.

The post Sir Jim Ratcliffe meets Erik ten Hag and underperforming Man United players for the first time appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Alexis Bernard (Le10Sport) reveals INEOS “plans to bring together the entire staff of the club” to help lay out what the new footballing operation at Old Trafford will look like.

Jean-Claude Blanc is expected to be taking up a senior position, likely the Chief Executive role, while a decision over the a prospective new Sporting Director will also be made.

This role is expected to be supplemented by an additional ‘Head of Recruitment’ who focuses solely on transfers. This report on The Peoples Person sheds more light on this.

Bernard asserts the “future” of manager Erik ten Hag will also be discussed – the “first major decision…of the INEOS era.”

EXCLU @le10sport : Le LOSC réclame 90 M€ pour Leny Yoro !

Manchester United, Liverpool et Manchester City ont ouvert des discussions concrètes. D'autres clubs, comme le PSG, ont pris des renseignements. Réponse d'Olivier Létang : 90 M€ ou rien…https://t.co/HKvhB04CTf

— Alexis BERNARD (@AlexisBernard10) December 30, 2023

The reporter contends that while the Dutch manager’s future is “50/50”, sources close to the INEOS team are acutely aware of the difficulties Ten Hag has been forced to endure this year.

“Numerous injuries” to key players, as well as their primary back-ups, has left United’s squad heavily depleted for large parts of the season.

There is appreciation amongst the club’s new owners that it is difficult to implement a new style of play while having to make drastic changes on a weekly basis due to absences.

United’s results thus far – which see then languish in seventh in the Premier League and already eliminated from the Champions League and Carabao Cup – border on inexcusable, however.

For this reason, Bernard writes, Ten Hag remains firmly in the “hot seat.”

The French reporter reveals the Dutch manager is unlikely to find much relief in the January transfer window either.

A “major recruit” is considered impossible this month, with prospective loan deals the most the club will likely be able to manage.

Indeed, INEOS officials have even requested a “freezing” of any approaches for new players, with potential deals and negotiations currently on “standby.”

As such, Bernard contends: “…the possibility of seeing Manchester United experience a completely blank winter transfer window cannot be ruled out.”

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