‘It’s not that clever’ – Sir Jim Ratcliffe speaks out on possibility of Man Utd signing Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham
Ratcliffe wants United to discover the next generation of stars.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has suggested he is not interested in signing established world class names like Kylian Mbappe for Manchester United, preferring to target the next generation of stars.
United’s new co-owner and INEOS will preside over their first transfer window at Old Trafford this summer.
The club’s record in the transfer market since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure over a decade ago has been largely criticised with major changes to United’s recruitment department already underway.
United have spent huge amounts on transfer fees and salaries bringing in established names from across Europe, with Angel di Maria and Alexis Sanchez among those signed to little success.
More recently, Raphael Varane and Casemiro were signed from Real Madrid and while they have had important roles to play at Old Trafford, the long-term thinking behind those two deals has been questioned.
A change in tact is expected under the Ratcliffe era with the INEOS chief executive giving an insight to his approach during an appearance on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast.
Asked whether he would rather sign Tadej Pogačar for his INEOS cycling team or France sensational Mbappe for United, Ratcliffe said: ‘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.’
Thomas, who rides for the INEOS cycling team, boldly suggested the idea of United signing Bellingham, conceding there is ‘no chance’ of prising the England star away from Real Madrid.
Ratcliffe again suggested United’s focus will be on readjusting their recruitment process to ensure they sign the best young talents before they become household names.
‘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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