Kylian Mbappe is expected to join a new club when the summer transfer window opens, but Man United have been virtually absent from that conversation.
That’s despite the fact the Red Devils are one of the top revenue-generating clubs in the world, but their fall from grace in the last decade means they are no longer considered a viable destination for the game’s top players.
They are still capable of making big money signings, but the club’s transfer strategy, or rather lack thereof, has been frustrating in the extreme for supporters.
There is finally hope that things can change at Old Trafford after Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in Man United via his petrochemicals company INEOS.
The British billionaire has set the wheels in motion to overhaul recruitment in a club that has misspent cash like there’s no tomorrow, but how will it work? What type of transfers will they be focusing on?
Well, Ratcliffe was this week asked if he would like to sign Mbappe, arguably the best player in the world, for Man United, and his answer was very revealing.
Manchester United to sign Mbappé or INEOS to sign Pogačar 👀
Listen to the full interview with Sir Jim Ratcliffe by searching "Geraint Thomas Cycling Club" in your podcast app 🎙 pic.twitter.com/Rwf4i4dlWn
— Geraint Thomas Cycling Club (@GTCyclingClub) March 19, 2024
“What I would rather do, I would rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune trying to buy success,” he told the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast.
“It’s not that clever, is it? Buying Mbappé, in a way. Anyone could figure that one out, but what’s more challenging to find the next Mbappé, or the next (Jude) Bellingham or the next Roy Keane.”
Ratcliffe’s plan for Man United is not to splash a ginormous transfer fee on a current star name like Mbappe, but to find tomorrow’s world-class player – a bit like Sir Alex Ferguson did when he signed the likes of Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo at a young age.
There’s no doubt that fans would love to see Mbappe rocking up to the red side Manchester as a United player, but the club have to be smarter in the transfer market first.
