‘Man Utd don’t have a player valued at €100m’ – Sir Jim Ratcliffe explains how many transfer windows it will take to get Red Devils right & reveals why Erik ten Hag is still manager at Old Trafford

The Red Devils have continued to spend big in a bid to recapture former glories, with the unpopular Glazer family overseeing lavish recruitment drives. Little return has been seen on that investment since Sir Alex Ferguson headed into retirement on the back of the club’s last Premier League title triumph in 2013.

Ratcliffe – Britain’s richest man - has acquired a 25 per cent stake in United and intends to help turn the club around. He has, however, told Bloomberg of problems there and why no quick fix can be put in place: “There's room for improvement everywhere we look at Manchester United, and we will improve everything. We want to be where Real Madrid is today, but it'll take time. It will take two or three summer windows to get to a better place. Manchester United doesn't have any players that are valued at €100 million (£84m/$107m) or more. I’m not confident that we’ll solve all the problems in the first transfer window.”

With issues to address on the pitch, United have also faced plenty of uncomfortable questions off it. Dutch coach Erik ten Hag appears to have survived those for now – having overseen an FA Cup triumph in 2023-24 – and Ratcliffe added when asked about the decision not to make another change in the dugout: “The coach isn't the central issue at Manchester United. It’s a sports club. It needs to be competitive, it needs a degree of intensity, but with a supportive side to it because you are dealing with players who are relatively young. It hasn’t had that type of environment historically.”

United could only muster an eighth-place finish in the Premier League last season, but will be gracing the Europa League in 2024-25. It remains to be seen how many fresh faces will be welcomed through the doors before that campaign gets underway, while there could be plenty of departures – with the likes of Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Casemiro generating exit talk.