Sir Jim Ratcliffe “in love” with Manchester United signing, wants more players like him

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to be in love with one of Manchester United’s 2024 summer signings and sees said player as the blueprint for future windows.

Manchester United’s 2024 transfer window saw the club sign five new players to add to Erik ten Hag‘s ranks as they looked to kick on from an FA Cup success against Manchester City at the end of the 2023/24 season.

United signed Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte for the first team, as well as bringing in a host of academy talent with the aim of nurturing them into high-level players in the future.

However, after extending Ten Hag’s contract in the summer, United chose to sack the Dutchman after an awful start to the 2024/25 campaign that left them 14th in the Premier League and 21st in the Europa League, hiring Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim to replace him.

The 39-year-old has since had his first month in charge of the club, winning four games, losing four games, and drawing one as he gets to know his new squad and implement his 3-4-3 system.

Ratcliffe “in love” with summer signing Mazraoui

United spent a net of £101.8 million on their five new signings in the first window since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner, with sales of those such as Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka helping bring down the gross £182.5 million spent, not including potential add-ons in the future.

However, when it comes to best value for money, many have pointed toward Mazraoui as the club’s best signing this season, with the player ranking among the highest average performers for United this season despite costing the least of the lot, at £12.8 million from Bayern Munich.

According to GiveMeSport, Ratcliffe is said to be “in love” with the Moroccan international following his regularly brilliant performances across multiple positions.

It is said that Ratcliffe now sees Mazraoui’s signing as the blueprint for how the club should recruit in the future, with United looking to secure good value-for-money players rather than spending multiple millions on high-risk assets as they have done in the past.

Ratcliffe is right, but United are forced into the decision

Although Ratcliffe is right, United should be targeting good value-for-money players, it’s a situation that they have been forced into, rather than one that they have chosen.

The club spent over £600 million on Ten Hag’s signings across the five transfer windows he was at the club, with at least half of those players, such as Antony and Casemiro, having been deemed insufficient for Amorim’s use.

United have, therefore, drained their transfer budgets to the point where they are wavering on breaking the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, which would result in a fine and a possible points deduction.

United must be careful with their spending and recruit players they feel would represent improvement without spending hundreds of millions – a position their poor recruitment has forced them into.

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