Manchester United are set for new investment – but it's put a spanner in potential transfer plans of Erik ten Hag.
As per Sky Sports, INEOS entrepreneur and Nice owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to pay £1.3 billion for a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United, having been a fan of the side his whole life. The petrochemicals billionaire is set to assume the football side of the business, as the Glazers' influence at Old Trafford recedes.
But amid the optimism for Red Devils fans, a planned triple transfer has now been committed to the scrapheap.
According to Bild in Germany, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani – who has now pulled out of the running to buy United – had his eye on three world-class talents to kickstart his tenure as owner.
French trio Kylian Mbappe, Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni had all been lined up by the Qatari sheikh as part of an ambitious plan to shake up Ten Hag's squad.
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Ratcliffe may choose to make star-studded signings himself – but has previously indicated that he would adhere to a policy of bringing young talents through as he has done at Nice.
“They haven’t got the manager selection right, haven’t bought well,” he told the Times. “They have spent the dumb money, which you see with players like Fred.
“United have spent an immense amount since [Sir Alex] Ferguson left and been poor, to put it mildly. Shockingly poor, to be honest. We [at Nice] have a different approach here to be moderately intelligent about it.
“Try to do it more grassroots, trying to locate young talent. Some clubs seem to have the ability to do that, Southampton and Lille. United have done it really poorly. They have lost the plot.”
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A former Manchester United player has likened the current state of the club's training ground to that of a League One club.
Meanwhile, one of the club's major summer signings appears to already be having doubts about his move to Old Trafford.
And Jadon Sancho is reportedly still fuming with Erik ten Hag after the pair's falling out last month.
