Sir Jim Ratcliffe draws up five-man shortlist for new Man Utd sporting director
Five names have been discussed in the race to become Manchester United's sporting director once Sir Jim Ratcliffe gets his feet under the table at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe, founder and chief executive of petrochemical conglomerate INEOS, is this week poised to complete a £1.4billion deal which will see his company own 25 percent of the club in part one of a staged takeover. While the Glazers will retain majority financial control, Britain's second-richest man and his fellow INEOS executives will be granted power to oversee United's football operations.
A structural shakeup above Erik ten Hag has already been mooted, with the Dutch manager's job understood to be safe for now. Ratcliffe wants to make significant changes in order to prove that he's the man capable of reviving the stagnant Premier League giants, and one could well be appointing the club's first ever sporting director.
Former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward toyed with the idea during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign, only to promote John Murtough from within to become United's first 'football director', a role which he's continued under current CEO Richard Arnold. Ratcliffe, though, is expected to bring in his own man, with five candidates being mentioned.
Among them is Paul Mitchell, the former Tottenham, Southampton and RB Leipzig chief who left Monaco - local rivals of INEOS-owned Nice - earlier month. Mitchell, who hails from Greater Manchester like Ratcliffe, is highly regarded for his work across Europe and multiple reports state that the 42-year-old has been considered.
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The Athletic also claim that Mitchell has a 'good relationship' with one senior figure at INEOS, perhaps thanks to being based in the south of France during his three years with Monaco. The ex- Manchester City youth player was linked with joining United during Woodward's search which included talks with current Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Ashworth made his name working for the FA to kickstart Gareth Southgate's tenure and later Brighton, who've established themselves as one of the Premier League's most well-run clubs. It'd take a hefty compensation fee to prise him away from St James' Park, however, if the 52-year-old even fancied quitting that project.
Paul Mitchell recently left Monaco, neighbours to INEOS-owned Nice (Johnny Fidelin/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Dan Ashworth is now at Newcastle following success with the FA and Brighton (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)Two former Liverpool sporting directors are also noted as possible appointments: Michael Edwards and Julian Ward. Edwards is credited with playing a key role in Liverpool's resurgence under boss Jurgen Klopp, while assistant Ward took over for the 2022-23 season before leaving this past summer.
They're both understood to be available, although their Anfield connections could make the pair non-starters for Ratcliffe. One man who the INEOS head honcho knows well is Jean-Claude Blanc, who in December 2022 became CEO of the company's sporting empire which includes teams in football, rugby, Formula 1, cycling and sailing among others.
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Michael Edwards left his role as Liverpool's sporting director in 2022 (John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Michael Edwards succeeded him at Anfield but only lasted one season (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Blanc spent six years at Juventus between 2005 and 2011, firstly as chief executive before becoming president, then enjoying more than a decade as CEO of French giants PSG until last year. Ratcliffe declared that he was "delighted" to bring the 60-year-old on board and a press release outlined his responsibilities.
"Jean Claude will be responsible for the development of state-of-the-art dedicated facilities for each of the teams that INEOS owns, developing their business plans and growing their global brands, as well as developing them into a global integrated Sports Group," it read.
The statement added that Blanc will work closely with INEOS director of sport Sir David Brailsford to deliver "world-class performance," while "the responsibility for execution and delivery in sports remains with each sports team CEO."
Jean-Claude Blanc was appointed CEO of INEOS' wide-ranging sporting empire last December (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)The Times, who report that INEOS' top priority will be overhauling United's playing squad and football staff, suggest that Blanc could act as a sporting director, although his current role would likely still give him significant influence over United's future. As for Murtough, who's been at the club for exactly 10 years, speculation is growing that his time in charge of sporting matters could soon be over - just like Arnold's as CEO - with Ratcliffe aiming to put his own stamp on Old Trafford.
A new sporting director would be tasked with improving United's recent recruitment record, with Ratcliffe ruthlessly claiming back in 2019 that they've spent "dumb money," during the post- Sir Alex Ferguson era. The incoming chief would also be expected to help appoint a new manager should Ten Hag ever be sacked, another criticism which Ratcliffe harboured when speaking to the Times.
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"They haven't got the manager selection right, haven't bought well," he affirmed. "They have been the dumb money, which you see with players like Fred. United have spent an immense amount since Ferguson left and been poor, to put it mildly. Shockingly poor, to be honest.
"We 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 an ability to do that, Southampton and Lille. United have done it really poorly. They have lost the plot."
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