Times are changing at Manchester United.
Following several years of mismanagement under the Glazers, Ineos’ adoption of football operations at Old Trafford is shaping up to be a good move. With the countdown to the start of the new season officially underway, rays of positivity are sprouting in M16.
The club is attempting to make progress in the transfer market at rapid speed by looking to secure the services of Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee. United have also had an offer accepted for highly-rated Lille defender Leny Yoro.
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United want to add a freshness to their squad this summer and just the fact they are looking into the likes of De Ligt and Yoro has given supporters a much-needed confidence booster ahead of the forthcoming campaign. But it is not just on the pitch where Ineos are looking to make their mark.
After securing a minority stake earlier this year, it was immediately clear the petrochemicals giant wanted to improve all areas of the club, not least its facilities. Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made no secret of his preference to demolish Old Trafford and build a new stadium that would not just cater for United fans but also the north of England as a whole.
Ineos also made it clear that United’s Carrington training base was in desperate need of modernisation. The club’s training ground has fallen behind its leading competitors, lacking state of the art facilities a club of United’s stature should be providing for players.
Last month, United confirmed work was going to start on modernising the men’s first team building. The project, which is going to cost £50million, will result in the club being able to provide elite-level facilities befitting of the club’s stature.
Addressing Ineos’ decision to commit £50m to improving the training ground, United manager Erik ten Hag, speaking to the club’s in-house media earlier this week, said: “We really have something to look forward to, being constructed [here], and that will be the best training ground in English football, but the most important is now.
“We live today and they did a great job to make this work and make this facility work to a professional condition, so we can work professionally. Four weeks ago here, it was chaotic, now it’s set up so professionally. We have a compact training ground, we have everything nearby, in good conditions, in good standards.”
Committed to improving all areas of the club across the board, Ineos’ decision to upgrade the quality of Carrington is a huge feather in their cap. The club’s training base has been heavily criticised in recent years, not least by former striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
After returning to the club for a second spell in August 2021, Ronaldo, speaking to Piers Morgan the following year, said: “Nothing changed, surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym. Even the kitchen, the chefs, whom I appreciate – lovely people. They stopped in time. It surprised me a lot.
“I thought I would see other things, technologies, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, we see a lot of what I used to see at 21, 22, and 23 years old. It really surprised me.
“Since [Sir Alex] Ferguson left, I haven’t seen an evolution at the club. Progress is zero. You have to tear it down and rebuild it. If they start with me, it’s not a problem.”
With Ineos now on the scene, overdue changes are finally being made. United’s first-team players and staff spend the bulk of their working week at Carrington, meaning game-changing alterations to their main hub will have a positive impact on everyone who works at the site.
Summer signings, understandably, will be what excite United’s fans the most this summer, but Ineos’ commitment to improving the club’s existing facilities might just be their biggest success story. It has certainly got Ten Hag excited.