by Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has outlined his proposed changes to the transfer policy at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have seen a number of expensive stars fail to deliver on their lofty promise in recent years leading to an inquest from the incoming INEOS group.
It appears that the club’s days of splashing the cash on established world-beaters are over, dislodged by the new view of buying young talent and developing them into the world’s best.
Speaking on The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club Podcast, Ratcliffe explained: “The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players. They [Manchester United] have done that if you look at the last 10 years, they have spent a lot of money.
“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. That’s such a vital part of running a football club, getting that right.”
He added: “I would rather find the next Mbappe rather than spend a fortune to buy success. It’s not that clever to go and sign Mbappe, anyone could figure that one out.
“What’s more challenging is to find the next Mbappe, the next Bellingham, the next Roy Keane.”
The last few years have seen Man United lean closer to this proposed policy behind the scenes, with Alejandro Garnacho, Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez all signed to the academy from abroad for smaller fees and developed at Carrington.
Looking even further back, exciting left-back Harry Amass was signed from Watford aged just 16 and has already spent time training with the first team, while exciting midfielder Jack Fletcher, son of United hero Darren, was signed from rivals Manchester City last summer.
If widespread reports are to be believed, transfer targets such as Jarred Branthwaite, Michael Olise and Benfica’s Joao Neves only add to the notion that a refreshing change looks imminent at Old Trafford, with Ratcliffe spearheading an approach more similar to the early days of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign.
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