“We all want to see Manchester United back where we belong, at the top of English, European and World Football”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is an ambitious man. After having acquired A 25% stake in Manchester United last month, the billionaire owner of petrochemical giant INEOS has set about revamping the ailing footballing operation of the 20-time top-flight champions, starting with the unexpected and much-heralded appointment of Manchester City CEO Omar Berrada on 20th January.
If that appointment wasn’t enough of a statement of intent, rumours of interest in highly-regarded Newcastle Sporting Director Dan Ashworth have begun to circulate, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirming United’s interest on the popular United We Stand podcast. Let’s take a look at Ratcliffe’s Manchester United revolution so far:
Jim Ratcliffe Wastes No Time In Manchester United Shake-Up
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Few could have expected the new part-owners to have acted this quickly, especially given that the takeover has not yet been officially ratified by the Premier League. With absolute control over the footballing side at Old Trafford, Ratcliffe appears keen to appoint the best-in-class for every role and, whilst the INEOS owner has asked for patience from the fans, he seems to want to make substantial changes as soon as possible, particularly given the team’s disappointing results on the field.
Omar Berrada: The First Piece Of the Puzzle
It may yet come to pass that January 20 will be looked back on as the day that the Manchester United revolution truly began. The under-the-radar pursuit and signature of one of their closest rival’s key men behind the scenes is a departure from the decade of haphazard, inefficient, and all too often public dealings, both in terms of transfers of players and coaching and board appointments.
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Berrada will bring a wealth of experience working in a high-pressure, top-level sporting environment, having served as Chief Operations Officer at Manchester City since Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016, and as a marketing executive five years before that. If nothing else, the efficient and speedy manner of securing the Spaniard’s signature heralds a new beginning in how arguably the biggest club in the Premier League operates.
Dan Ashworth: The Next Piece
Although by no means a sure thing, rumours of Ashworth being of interest as the next piece of the revamp should offer yet more encouragement to Manchester United supporters.
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Responsible for signing the likes of Kieran Trippier, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes in his role as sporting director at Newcastle United, the former Brighton man would bring extensive know-how and provide further proof that Ratcliffe and INEOS mean business when it comes to taking the Red Devils back to the summit of English football.
