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Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to instruct a new-look Manchester United recruitment team to prioritise homegrown talent as he aims to fire the club back to English football’s summit.
The INEOS chief is closing in on a 25 percent stake in United, with his £1.3billion buy-out edging closer to completion.
Ratcliffe’s group will assume control of United’s footballing operation and have already started planning an overhaul of their recruitment set-up.
Mail Sport has learned the billionaire businessman is eager to see more of a domestic presence – particularly within the core of the team – at United.
Historically, United have shown a commitment to showcasing local and domestic talent – but, like with many other clubs, there has been a greater focus on the foreign transfer markets in recent years.
Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, just seven of United’s major signings have been homegrown: Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James, Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount and Jonny Evans.
And well-placed sources have indicated that Ratcliffe, who saw United dominate English football under Ferguson with a core contingent of British players, wants to reinforce a domestic flavour to United’s international squad provided, of course, they are good enough.
The British market is widely-regraded as being over-inflated, with many Premier League clubs believing they can land better value for money abroad.
And while United’s transfer policy under INEOS will ultimately dictated by financial limitations, there is a will from Ratcliffe to buy British.
The fact prospective signings have already experienced the rigours of English football is viewed as a key reason why INEOS feel buying British would be beneficial.
Director of Sport for INEOS – Sir Dave Brailsford – is set for a strategic role at Old Trafford once the buy-out is ratified.
The club’s current football director John Murtough’s position will be under threat with INEOS considering appointing at least two new senior recruitment executives.
Paul Mitchell, formerly of Spurs, Monaco and Southampton, is in the running to secure one of those positions, while Michael Edwards – formerly of Liverpool – is also admired.
Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth has been linked but he is expected to stay at St James’ Park.
United are currently among the clubs closely monitoring Brentford striker Ivan Toney ahead of the next two transfer windows.
Toney is expected to leave in the summer – but United are set to face Arsenal and Chelsea for his signature.
The thought of a move to Arsenal is said to appeal to the England international but the Gunners are keeping their options open with regards to their search for centre forward – Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen the other names considered by Mikel Arteta.
United are also interested in Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, but the England defender is unlikely to be available until the summer and will cost a minimum £60million.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
