Sir Jim Ratcliffe comments from 2019 hint at his Man United transfer strategy

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Manchester United, over recent years, have not spent shrewdly in the transfer market under several different managers.

Some players have been brought to the club with disastrous results. Alexis Sanchez joined Manchester United under Jose Mourinho and struggled as has Jadon Sancho, who joined under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for £73 million.

Well, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover of the club on the verge of being ratified at a meeting of directors next week, you would expect the club’s strategy to change.

An interview from 2019, however, may well give an insight into how the club will operate under the 70-year-old, who was listed by the Sunday Times as the second richest man in Britain.

Ratcliffe’s strategy

In an interview from 2019, Ratcliffe has given a preview into how he could spend at a club as big as United.

“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 OGC 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.”

United to invest in younger talents

As seen at his OGC Nice squad, particularly this summer, they have developed a rather young core with Jean-Clair Todibo and Khepren Thuram really being the faces of this project in France.

United have been needing to adopt this method for years, as seen with Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.

The only problem with this method is that it is getting harder and harder to scout hidden gems at a decent price, especially for a club like United.

However, if Ratcliffe appoints the right people for the right roles at the club, this could turn out to be a very fruitful partnership at Old Trafford.