05 March 2024 , 10:55
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Manchester United have identified Dougie Freedman as their top target to become the club's new head of recruitment and are set make a formal approach to Crystal Palace.
The move is the latest undertaken since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7 per cent stake in the club from the Glazer family. Per the teams of the £1.25billion deal, Ratcliffe and Ineos have now taken control of all sporting operations at Old Trafford.
Significant changes have already been made by the new regime, including the appointment of Omar Berrada as the club's new chief executive. It's been widely reported that overhauling the club's recruitment strategy was viewed as a priority by Ineos, and progress is now being made on that front.
A new report from The Independent has outlined that Freedman has emerged as United's top target to head up recruitment as a result of his impressive body of work at Crystal Palace, who have made a number of shrewd acquisitions during his tenure.
Freedman has garnered a reputation as one of the Premier League's most astute sporting directors as Selhurst Park. Not only has he identified several highly-rated young players with a high resale value, Freedman has also helped the Eagles remain competitive in the south London area; widely regarded as a hotbed for talent.
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Palace are braced for United to make an official approach for Freedman's services this week. United are keen to fill the position quickly with Berrada and Dan Ashworth - the club's prospective new sporting director - both on gardening leave. It's hoped Palace would be open to letting Freedman start work at Old Trafford immediately, although they are likely to offer him a new deal in a bid to stave off interest.
Freedman would report to Ashworth and Berrada should he accept the role, meaning he would not wield the same power he currently has at Palace. United are yet to agree terms with Newcastle for Ashworth but it's been outlined he may not be permitted to start work as the club's new sporting director until 2025 unless significant compensation is paid.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to approach Freedman, who is a long-term ally of Sir Alex Ferguson (Getty Images)It was outlined back in November that Freedman was under consideration for a role in the new Manchester United hierarchy. Previous indications had been that he was in the running for a similar role to the one he currently holds at Crystal Palace, although that is now expected to be filled by Ashworth.
Freedman, formerly a manager at Palace, Bolton and Nottingham Forest, is a long-term ally of United legend Sir Alex Ferguson. The pair first met back in 2011 when Palace eliminated Ferguson's team from the League Cup and have remained in touch ever since.
It was indicated in reports late last year that Ferguson was likely to be sounded out by Ratcliffe before Ineos made any significant changes at Old Trafford due to his wealth of knowledge and expertise within the game.
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