SUMMARY
- Previously, Kylian Mbappe was rumored to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
- Recently, Sir Jim Ratcliffe talked about whether to sign Kylian Mbappe at Manchester United.
Kylian Mbappe is one of the hottest prospects in the soccer world. Many clubs would be hoping for an opportunity to land the Frenchman’s signature. The 25-year-old has torn apart the French Ligue 1, becoming Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top scorer. Kylian Mbappe’s talent and skills are evident on the soccer pitch, which has helped him earn the captaincy of the French national team at such a young age.
201 GOALS.
KYLIAN MBAPPÉ BECOMES PSG’S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER AT 24 YEARS OLD 🥂 pic.twitter.com/WqrKZavDoO
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 4, 2023
However, there seems to be one club that is still not impressed with the Frenchman’s heroics. The club is known to be a commercial giant but has been hit with poor recruitment issues of late.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe does not want to sign Kylian Mbappe
And the club is none other than 20-time Premier League Champion Manchester United. ‘The Red Devils’ have found a new minority investor in the form of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe-led INEOS Group. The new investors have decided not to pursue any overly expensive players and to invest their money smartly. This might even come at the cost of losing out on the opportunity to sign a free Kylian Mbappe.
Even Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come forward with his feelings about the club’s transfer policy. The 2-time UEFA Champions League would now rather unearth new gems than sign other star players.
🚨🔴 Sir Jim Ratcliffe: “Mbappé to Man United? I’d try to find the next Mbappé rather than spend a fortune trying to buy success”.
“It’s not that clever to sign Mbappé now, it’s more challenging to find the next Mbappé, next Bellingham or next Roy Keane”, told @GTCyclingClub. pic.twitter.com/ehxxL5G7gq
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 19, 2024
The 71-year-old has straight-up rejected the possibility of signing players like Kylian Mbappe. Sir Jim said, “Mbappé to Man United? I’d try to find the next Mbappé rather than spend a fortune trying to buy success”. Manchester United was the fifth richest club in the 22/23 season when it generated €745.8 million (roughly around $800 million). It could easily sign a player of Kylian’s value.
But the club has decided to alter its faulty recruitment policy of overpaying for stars. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has also agreed that it would be difficult to find players like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, etc.
He said, “It’s not that clever to sign Mbappé now, it’s more challenging to find the next Mbappé, next Bellingham or next Roy Keane.” However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks more than determined to complete Manchester United’s resurgence.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe believes Manchester United needs to learn from its mistakes
‘The Red Devils’ have been long haunted by expensive signings that go on to perform terribly for the club. To examine this, we don’t need to go too far down the memory lane. We can take the example of the current United manager Erik ten Hag, who has spent more than $400 million ever since signing for the club in 2022. However, the Dutch tactician hasn’t been able to justify the huge expenditure with the on-pitch results.
And it seems Sir Jim Ratcliffe has had enough of the gross mismanagement at Manchester United. He believes that INEOS Group needs to hire qualified people for important positions in the club’s hierarchy, which would help them get better value on money for players.
Sir Jim said (via Mirror), “The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes in the organising of the club. Then make can get recruitment right.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe: “I think Dan Ashworth is a 10/10 sporting director – one of the best around. He would be very good for Manchester United. It is understandable that somebody like Dan would see the Manchester United job as a very interesting challenge at this stage of his… pic.twitter.com/0q4uXuBZX4
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) February 21, 2024
The 71-year-old has realized that recruitment is very essential in modern-day soccer. Efficient management of money will reward the club with finding exciting talents at cheaper prices. It would also help Manchester United comply with the Financial Fairplay, Profit, and Sustainability rules. Many clubs in England have failed to abide by these rules and, hence, have faced serious punishments.
It is beneficial for Manchester United, in our opinion, to not go for expensive signings again. The club has seen with the likes of Antony, Mason Mount, Paul Pogba, etc. that the transfer value of a player does not guarantee his utility on the pitch. The club should not look too far; Liverpool has set a great example of how smart investments in players can often translate to on-pitch success without stretching the club’s budget.
Hence, Manchester United should look to strengthen its recruitment department. The club has already started the process by signing some great talents in this field. If the INEOS Group continues to make these smart decisions, United might soon find its long-lost glory.