INEOS plan to replicate Premier League rival as Man United ‘consider’ major Jadon Sancho decision

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are planning to overhaul Manchester United’s approach to player contracts which may impact their approach to Jadon Sancho’s current situation.

The Reds have often been criticised for how they deal with contracts at Old Trafford, including wild extensions that have made it difficult to recoup profit from sales.

According to Sky Sports, under INEOS’ sporting leadership, the club will implement a more ‘ruthless’ approach to their process over player contracts as they aim to prioritise the right culture and recruitment strategy over business interests.

It was added that United want to be more “culture-focused” in their decision-making and note Arsenal as an example where releasing players instead of attempting to hold out for fees can help reshape a squad and create a better environment.

The likes of Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe have all had their contracts terminated at the Emirates, and this kind of decisive action is ‘greatly admired’ by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS.

In turn, this could lead to an impact on how United deal with Jadon Sancho’s situation. The £73 million signing has not played since September for the club after falling out with manager Erik ten Hag over a controversial social media message, accusing the Dutchman of ‘scapegoating’ him.

There have appeared to be problems with potentially selling the England player in January due to his substantial wage packet at Old Trafford.

However, the aforementioned report added that United are going to be more willing to terminate contracts if it’s for the greater good, and discussions to this effect have taken place over Sancho’s situation.

It was mentioned that if an exit route does not materialise for the former Borussia Dortmund player, the club will consider cutting ties instead of trying to recover some of their £73 million outlay from 2021.

Sancho joined the Old Trafford club two years ago and has scored 12 goals in 82 appearances.

Meanwhile, another key factor in INEOS’ planned changes in relation to player contracts is the extensions that have been given out over recent years.

Most recently, the club have been criticised for the major contract given to Marcus Rashford following a great 2022/23 campaign. The forward has struggled to find similar form this term and has been dropped from the left-wing for Alejandro Garnacho in recent games.

Sky Sports added that INEOS want to stop unnecessary contract extensions at the club if it does not make footballing sense. Previously, United have been concerned with protecting resale value and avoiding losing players on free contracts, which has been flagged by INEOS as one of the core reasons why the club struggles to trim the squad and make a profit on sales.

David Beckham’s move to Real Madrid in 2003 for around £25 million remains the fourth-highest sale in the club’s history.

It was also mentioned that United’s option for an extra 12 months on deals will also not automatically be triggered moving forward unless necessary.