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Manchester United are on the verge of having their football operations taken over by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, should the board accept his £1.3bn offer for a 25 per cent stake in the club.
Despite the hugely unpopular Glazers remaining in situ as the majority shareholders, Ratcliffe would come into Manchester United and look to improve the footballing side of the business. Reports are already suggesting a sporting director will be installed by Ratcliffe, with further major changes to the backroom staff expected.
Changes are expected in the playing squad, too, as the British billionaire looks to arrest the Red Devils’ 10-year malaise and have them challenging for the Premier League title once again. New signings are inevitable, and we at FourFourTwo have looked at five potential incomings should Ratcliffe acquire his stake.
5 players Manchester United could sign under Jim Ratcliffe
CB: Jean-Clair Todibo
With Ratcliffe owning 100 per cent of French side Nice, this is a move that seems inevitable and extremely straightforward. The Frenchman was heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford during the summer, but a move never materialised after Harry Maguire rejected the chance to sign for West Ham United.
Maguire’s exit seems more likely following the start of the 2023/24 season, however, paving the way for 23-year-old Todibo to join Manchester United. Nice certainly won’t stand in the former Barcelona centre-back’s way, and could be the perfect replacement for injury-prone Raphael Varane.
An integral member of the Nice team, Todibo is a front-foot defender who likes to be aggressive in his defending and stepping into attacking positions with the ball. His style would certainly suit Erik ten Hag’s philosophy at United, and Ratcliffe’s ownership of his club could see them drop their reported summer valuation of £40m.
RB: Jeremie Frimpong
Though the Dutch full-back signed a new contract with Bayer Leverkusen at the start of October, keeping him with the Bundesliga side until 2028, Frimpong’s future in Germany isn’t set in stone.
Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has impressed clubs around Europe with a strong start to life in senior management, and, should he depart, Frimpong could well follow him out of the exit door. While it would take more than £50m to sign the 22-year-old, Manchester United have had no such qualms forking out similar transfer fees on full-backs before, with Frimpong an upgrade offensively on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, too.
While right-back is a position in the United squad which isn’t a pressing matter, the fact Ten Hag has struggled to settle on a preferred option between Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot suggests he isn’t fully satisfied with either player – and would therefore welcome a signing of Frimpong’s ilk.
CB: Goncalo Inacio
Ten Hag is a stickler for his centre-backs playing on their natural side, but Lisandro Martinez’s recent injury woes have forced the Dutchman to use Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and even Luke Shaw at left centre-back during his time at Manchester United due to a lack of left-footed cover in the squad.
What Goncalo Inacio would bring, therefore, is adept cover in that position. Highly-rated at Sporting Lisbon, the 22-year-old has a release clause of £52m and has been linked to United previously.
But United reportedly have a good relationship with Sporting, stretching back to the deal for now-club captain Bruno Fernandes. With Inacio available for a set fee, the process of signing the star should be a straightforward one – and United could improve their depth on that side of defence as early as January.
CDM: Martin Zubimendi
With Ratcliffe reportedly questioning Manchester United’s transfer policy over the signing of Casemiro, a younger, fresher defensive midfield option could be at the top of his agenda if his minority shareholding is accepted by the board.
Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi seems the perfect fit for that profile of player, too. Sergio Busquets reincarnate, the 24-year-old would give Manchester United more control in possession, something that has been seemingly lacking from the side this season.
Providing a calmness to United’s midfield seems essential, especially with the oftentimes chaotic nature of both Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount marauding around the pitch. He’ll keep things ticking over in the centre of the pitch, controlling the game to set moves up and tire out the opposition.
RW: Pedro Neto
Here’s where it truly gets exciting for Manchester United fans – and Pedro Neto is certainly a player looking to get supporters off their seats during games.
While Antony arrived for big money in August 2022, it hasn’t quite clicked for the Brazilian as he’s struggled to get up to speed in the Premier League. Neto, of course, won’t have that issue, having been terrorising defences for Wolves since arriving at Molineux in 2019.
Lightning quick, Neto is comfortable on either foot and loves to commit defenders with his dribbling skills. However, he doesn’t waste possession and would allow pressure to mount on opposition defences. Plus, if United are able to sign Frimpong, Neto’s cutting inside onto his stronger left-foot would allow the right-back to provide width and overlap on the outside.
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