Sir Jim Ratcliffe Intervenes to Stop Man United Signing World-Class Star

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly blocked the club from signing a world-class striker next summer.

Man United have enjoyed an upturn in form in recent weeks, with Ruben Amorim’s side currently on a run of three successive victories after triumphs against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton.

The Red Devils now sit sixth in the Premier League above champions Liverpool and Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea, who both suffered losses last time out.

Summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have begun to find form, with the latter scoring in the recent 2-1 win at Anfield as well as netting a brace in the 4-2 triumph against the Seagulls at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The duo’s fellow summer recruit, goalkeeper Senne Lammens, has appeared solid in his three Premier League appearances, while striker Benjamin Sesko is still adjusting to the pace of the English game - although he has shown signs of promise with two goals in nine league games.

Currently, United are short of out-and-out strikers with Rasmus Hojlund on loan at Napoli, while Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly keen on a January loan switch due to his limited playing time under Amorim.

Man Utd have improved in recent weeks (Credit:Getty)

And the 20-time Premier League champions were linked with a potential move for the soon-to-be-out-of-contract Barcelona and Poland forward Robert Lewandowski.

The 37-year-old’s current deal expires in June, and he has yet to be offered an extension by the Catalonia club.

However, according to the Mirror, Ratcliffe has ‘blocked’ any potential move by United despite the Pole being available for free come the end of the 2025/26 campaign, with Amorim reportedly being a long-term admirer of the veteran goalscorer.

Ratcliffe’s stance is thought to be related to Lewandowski’s likely hefty wages, with the club previously offering huge salaries to Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Edinson Cavani, and Bastian Schweinsteiger over the past decade.

According to Capology, Lewandowski earns around €500,721 (£438,105) per week at Barca. The same salary at United would make him the club’s second-highest earner, with Casemiro currently United’s top earner on a reported £450,000.

Lewandowski previously explained how he spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson about joining United back in 2012 before the deal fell through.

Robert Lewandowski is out of contract next summer (Credit:Getty)

The 37-year-old discussed the failed transfer during an appearance on Rio Ferdinand Presents in 2024 and revealed that he had a conversation with Ferguson during which he told the Scot of his intention to join the Old Trafford club.

When asked why the deal didn’t happen by Ferdinand, Lewandowski replied: "Ask the club, you know... I remember also the conversation with the president of Dortmund. He said to me, they need me. They're not going to sign me to Manchester United because I'm so important for them, and it's not the perfect time now.

"So, yeah. But that time I said yes, yeah, that's true. I said yes to join Manchester United because if Sir Alex Ferguson calls you, you cannot say no, you know. Especially when I was 22 or 23 years old. And, you know, that time I was playing for Dortmund. Even, you know, I was happy, but Manchester United are like the prime of Manchester United, you know."