Fabrizio Romano drops major Man Utd update on Sir Jim Ratcliffe takeover | OneFootball

Highlights

Manchester United's potential new owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will have to make some major changes to get fans onside if he is to complete a deal to purchase the club, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an exclusive internal update to GIVEMESPORT on one key decision he is likely to make.

The supporters at Old Trafford have been unhappy with some of the Glazers' decisions over the last few years, so Ratcliffe will have to get things right in the early stages to gain the support of the fanbase.

Ratcliffe looks set to complete a takeover

The Glazers placed Manchester United up for sale last November and we're now awaiting a takeover to be finalised. Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani was one of the contenders to purchase a stake in the Manchester club, but his Qatar-based group withdrew from the process earlier this month. Sheikh Jassim had made a £5bn offer to acquire a 100% stake, but after further talks, the deal broke down.

Now, Ratcliffe is closing in on securing 25% of the Red Devils and will pay a whopping £1.3bn to do so, per Sky Sports. Although Ratcliffe isn't acquiring 100% of the Glazers' ownership, he's likely to want a lot of control to try and bring success back to Old Trafford.

United Stand presenter Beth Tucker recently told GIVEMESPORT that bringing in someone like Paul Mitchell as a sporting director would see the club bring in a higher level of player and make smarter signings. Per i News, Mitchell is at the top of Ratcliffe's list to bring to the club if a takeover is completed. Mitchell has worked with Ratcliffe before in previous roles and has plenty of pedigree in the game due to his time at clubs like RB Leipzig, Southampton, and Tottenham Hotspur.

United fans have regularly protested against the Glazers' ownership due to the lack of success they've seen in recent years. The Manchester club have spent a significant amount of money on players who simply haven't delivered, or if they have contributed on the pitch, the club have often overpaid.

The recruitment strategy has to be something that changes when a takeover is completed, as looking at the list of United's record transfers since the Glazers have arrived, there are plenty of players who have struggled to make an impact that matches the figure the club forked out.

Fabrizio Romano update at Old Trafford

There is absolutely no guarantee that Ratcliffe can bring instant success to the Premier League side, but United fans will undoubtedly welcome changes across the board. Firstly, those who are hoping that Ratcliffe finalises a deal won't be sitting comfortably just yet, as it's been a long-drawn-out process with many different twists and turns.

Romano has suggested that there is a concrete possibility that Ratcliffe will come and make changes at boardroom level as it will be the quickest way that the potential new owner can show to the fans that he wants to make an impact. The Italian journalist adds that Ratcliffe wants to bring his own people to the club, but we will have to wait until everything is completed before names are mentioned for certain positions. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano said...

Erik ten Hag could focus on strengthening one position in January

As we head towards the January transfer window, United will undoubtedly be looking at areas of the squad they can potentially reinforce. Despite being fairly stacked for players in defence, injury issues has made this area of the pitch a bit of a problem for ten Hag.

Manchester United have now drawn up a four-man shortlist to strengthen their centre-back options, with Goncalo Inacio, Jean-Clair Todibo, Antonio Silva, and Edmond Tapsoba all being monitored by the Red Devils. What this means for the futures of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof remains to be seen, but it appears to be a position that ten Hag and his recruitment team want to add numbers in.