Manchester United transfer kitty unlikely to be bolstered if Sir Jim Ratcliffe completes takeover

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the second richest man in England is closing in on the takeover of footballing giants Manchester United after Sheikh Jassim and his entourage dropped out of the running.

Should the Englishman prove successful in his enterprise, it will bring an end to what has been a myriad of emotions concerning the future of the club over the last year. While most fans would have wanted the Qatari-backed cash coming in, Ratcliffe appears to be the new decision-maker in waiting.

Having watched Saudi Arabian-backed Newcastle United and Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City splash the cash on big names, there would have been anticipation that a Qatari takeover would have filled the club’s coffers with cash to land the biggest names in world football.

It appears to have been a just belief given recent news that Sheikh Jassim and Co were ready to open their chequebook and bring in some of the best players in world football to Old Trafford. Fans will harbour the same from Sir Ratcliffein the coming windows.

However, if The Guardian is to be believed, fans are barking up the wrong tree. As things stand, the 70-year-old’s arrival is unlikely to have much impact on the club’s ability to spend in the transfer window.

Manchester United traditionally do not spend big in the January window, but given the state of our season so far, the right reinforcements could help us salvage the season. Ratcliffe and Co appear to have a blueprint in place for the club but unless they are ready to put their money where their word is, it amounts to nothing.

But then, one cannot really fault the Glazers for not spending money on transfers. While the Americans do have several drawbacks, splashing cash has not been one of them.

What needs to be looked into is the recruitment process. The Red Devils will be fine spending the same amount of money should they have a long-term plan in place, with scouts, the management and those in charge of recruitment all on the same page.

More Manchester United News

• The capacity of Old Trafford might be extended to 90,000 if the takeover is completed
• Sir Jim Ratcliffe earmarks five candidates for the Manchester United Sporting Director role
• Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof discusses his future at the club amid contract extension claims.

Sir Ratcliffe or not, it is clear that recruitment remains an issue rather than the money on offer. The onus should be on ensuring that a competent Sporting Director is brought in and is able to work well alongside Erik ten Hag with no false pretences of where we stand in today’s game.