Today marks exactly 100 days since Manchester United announced that Sir Jim Ratcliffe had secured a 27.7 per cent stake in the club.
After a takeover saga that felt as though it was never going to end, the deal between United and Ratcliffe was finalised in February, with the club issuing a statement on their website at 9.15pm on February 20. The statement revealed that Ratcliffe had acquired 25 per cent of the club’s Class B shares and 25 per cent of the club’s Class A shares.
On becoming United co-owner, Ratcliffe said: “To become co-owner of Manchester United is a great honour and comes with great responsibility.
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“This marks the completion of the transaction, but just the beginning of our journey to take Manchester United back to the top of English, European and world football, with world-class facilities for our fans. Work to achieve those objectives will accelerate from today.”
100 days into his premiership, Ratcliffe is rolling up his sleeves in preparation for a first summer at the club. Ineos have been given control of football operations, meaning they will oversee changes to the squad, as well as deciding on the future of Erik ten Hag.
Having reached this particular landmark, MEN Sport has picked out four positive changes Ratcliffe and Ineos have set about making since being given the keys to Old Trafford.
Making long overdue appointments
Before Ratcliffe and Ineos had even got their feet under the table, it was obvious that one of their first objectives would be to assign the right people to the right roles. United’s hierarchy was in desperate need of being equipped with football knowledge and know-how.
Before the deal between United and Ratcliffe had even been formally announced, Omar Berrada was convinced to swap one side of Manchester for the other. He was installed as the club’s new chief executive and will officially begin work at Old Trafford in July.
Ratcliffe, who has said every person in management at Old Trafford must be world-class, also drafted in Jason Wilcox from Southampton last month. He has been installed as technical director and will form part of the new football structure.
Ineos have also sounded out Dan Ashworth as their preferred candidate to become the club’s inaugural sporting director. However, their quest to release him from his Newcastle United contract remains ongoing.
Nevertheless, Ratcliffe and his team have made it crystal clear that they want the best in class for each of the hierarchy roles that need filling. United, at long last, are edging closer to having an elite-level football structure in place.
Regenerating Old Trafford
However much history and lasting memories are associated with Old Trafford, there is no denying it has become tired and is in desperate need of modernisation. Ratcliffe, however, has admitted it is his preference to build a brand-new stadium on the existing site.
In March, it was announced that Ratcliffe had created a task force to explore options to regenerate Old Trafford. The task force is being chaired by Lord Sebastian Coe and also features former United captain Gary Neville.
Ratcliffe has frequently reiterated that a new stadium could become the ‘Wembley of the North’. Ratcliffe has also said a new stadium could house up to 100,000 supporters.
His ambitions to build a state-of-the-art arena for United cannot be knocked. United’s facilities have fallen behind their rivals’ and it is clear Ratcliffe believes the club and its supporters deserve better.
Plans for a new training ground
Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford, as revealed by the Manchester Evening News earlier this month, is pushing for the club to build a brand-new training ground. He does not believe the current facilities are fit for purpose for an elite-level sports team.
The club is in desperate need of either revamping their current Carrington base or moving to a new site. Ineos believe United should have the best of everything, meaning significant investment is going to be needed in that area.
Planning for a different recruitment policy
Ratcliffe, prior to becoming co-owner at Old Trafford, was critical of the club’s spending in the transfer market. United have paid over the odds for countless players over the past decade and that has proven to be the case once again this season with Casemiro’s sharp decline.
Ratcliffe, in March, signalled his biggest intention yet on how he plans to revamp United’s recruitment policy, stating that he wants to source the next big-name star, as opposed to buying a ready-made option for big money.
“What I would rather do is find the next [Kylian] Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune just trying to buy success,” Ratcliffe told the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast. “It’s not that clever, is it, buying Mbappe, in a way?
“Anybody could figure that one out. But what’s much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe, the next [Jude] Bellingham or the next Roy Keane.”
United’s hit rate in the transfer market desperately needs to improve, starting this summer, and Ratcliffe is fully aware of that. He also plans to improve the club’s record in the seller’s market, which is another department in which United have not been good enough in recent years.