Manchester United have big plans for the summer window and reports claim that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has ‘met’ with Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes.
The super-agent represents other world-class stars such as AC Milan star Rafael Leao and Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, who have both been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
As per the Manchester Evening News, Ratcliffe reportedly met with Mendes to ‘extend Man Utd‘s recruitment network’ and ‘strengthen his contacts’ ahead of the summer window.
Leao may be out of reach for the Red Devils, however, given AC Milan have slapped a £100m price tag on his head, which is beyond the club’s financial capabilities.
Ratcliffe is keen to avoid splashing out huge sums on new additions if possible – although he would be willing to spend big on young players who will be good long-term investments.
It’s not where our focus is,” The INEOS chief said. “The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players. They’ve done that over the last 10 years.
“The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes who are managing and organising the club and make sure we get recruitment right. It’s such a vital part of running a football club today, finding new players.”
Ratcliffe ‘holds meeting with Jorge Mendes’
Ratcliffe has already begun reshuffling the backroom team by appointing Manchester City’s Omar Berrada as Man Utd’s new CEO, while new technical director Jason Wilcox has been brought in from Southampton.
Dan Ashworth is also on track to be appointed as the Red Devil’s new sporting director. He has taken Newcastle to arbitration in an attempt to resolve a dispute over compensation fees between the two sides.
Mendes has played a big role in the transfers for clubs such as Wolves and Nottingham Forest in the past and Ratcliffe building a relationship with him ahead of the summer makes sense.
Ratcliffe is keen to turn Old Trafford into the best place in Europe to develop hot prospects and will therefore focus on signing younger players.