Sir Jim Ratcliffe steps up Man Utd takeover plans by identifying his first hire that would delight fans

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly identified his preferred sporting director if he manages to complete the takeover of Manchester United.

Since November 2022, United have been put on the market by current owners, the Glazers.

However, a deal is yet to materialise despite the strong interest from Ratcliffe and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Last month, it was reported that the Glazers could take the club off the market and sell again in 2025.

Despite that, it has been reported that INEOS boss Ratcliffe has already identified his preferred candidate for the sporting director role at United.

According to CBS Sports, Paul Mitchell is being considered to take over at Old Trafford if Ratcliffe’s bid to buy United is accepted.

Mitchell recently departed French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco after three years and has previously been linked with the sporting director vacancy at Liverpool.

On Wednesday, Mitchell’s departure from Monaco was confirmed. A statement from the club read: “Ben Lambrecht is stepping down from his position – CEO and board member – by mutual agreement with the Club. AS Monaco announce the departure of Paul Mitchell, who has held the position of Sporting Director since 2020.

“During this time, Paul Mitchell has helped to revitalize the club’s sporting policy by implementing a number of changes, including qualification for the French Cup final (2021) and two European qualifiers in three seasons (2021 and 2022).”

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It continued: “Recently, Paul Mitchell has been involved in ensuring a successful transition of the new team, leaving the club with solid foundations capable of achieving good results in the future. The Club would like to thank Paul Mitchell and Ben Lambrecht for their commitment and wish them all the best in his future endeavors.”

Recently, it is believed that Ratcliffe has switched his attention to minority ownership rather than a full takeover of the club.

However, Sheikh Jassim’s bid remains the same, he is looking to buy 100% of United.

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