Ratcliffe says it may take three years to fix United squad
New Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has claimed that it could take three summers to fix the club’s squad. The British billionaire completed a 28% purchase of the historic team about six months ago. Despite holding a relatively small slice of the Red Devils, Ratcliffe currently has significant control at the club.
The investor arrived at United as they were suffering their worst Premier League season in decades. Under manager Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils ultimately finished eighth in the English top-flight table. Their negative goal differential was also the team’s lowest figure in 34 years. The Dutch coach did help retain his position by collecting the FA Cup against all odds.
Although United did snatch a trophy, there are certainly plenty of issues within the squad. The club has spent freely in recent years and many of the deals have yet to pan out. Massive moves for Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Antony, Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, and Raphael Varane have all been under scrutiny by the team’s fanbase.
The sextet cost the club around $433 million in combined fees. As a result of these seemingly failed deals, United is now hindered in the transfer market.
British billionaire wants United to imitate Real Madrid
During a sprawling interview with Bloomberg, Ratcliffe covered a plethora of topics. Among these discussions included the billionaire admitting that he wants United to essentially emulate Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have remained at the top of Europe by making smart transfers, while also improving their historic stadium.
Ratcliffe, however, claimed that transforming the team would take some time due to their previous unsuccessful deals and current spending laws in place. “We’re sort of a bit handicapped in that sense, so I think we’ll do a fairly good job,” stated the businessman. “It will take two or three summer windows to get to a better place.”
“There’s room for improvement everywhere we look at Manchester United, and we will improve everything. We want to be where Real Madrid is today, but it’ll take time.”
Ratcliffe went on to say that his new club does not currently have a $100 million player and that signing one superstar will not magically fix the team’s issues. According to Transfermarkt, Bruno Fernandes is United’s most valuable star at about $75 million. Marcus Rashford was previously close to the $100 million mark but recently endured a tough 2023/24 campaign.
United fans may not be ready to embrace patience
Ratcliffe’s comments about his squad are certainly honest. The team does have some serious issues and will need time to revamp the roster due to the spending rules. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen just how patient United fans will be in the club’s lengthy player transaction process.
There are certain expectations for the Red Devils to remain one of the top teams in the world. Fans regularly showed their frustrations throughout the most recent season, as the club struggled to compete in the Champions League and Premier League. The move to retain Ten Hag was also seen as polarizing as well. After all, the manager, along with finishing eighth in the table, had problems dealing with multiple players in the squad.
With United under financial restraints, they will have to make some clever moves during the current transfer window. Another poor string of additions to the squad this summer would be extremely detrimental to the club’s ongoing plan for the future.
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