Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to lead 20-time English title winners Manchester United back to the top of European football after 15 years without a Champions League triumph
Dwight Yorke believes Manchester United won’t be able to sign players of Kylian Mbappe’s calibre again until they win the Premier League title.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is buying a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is on the verge of buying a 25 percent stake in United after holding off competition from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani. The INEOS chief’s investment will help redevelop Old Trafford, and he will work alongside the Glazers.
Ratcliffe wants to be in charge of football operations, but it’s too early to tell whether he will get his wish. United have struggled on the pitch since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 – failing to win either the Premier League title or Champions League during that time.
In Ferguson’s time in charge, United were able to attract the best players in Europe – such as Robin van Persie from Arsenal in the summer of 2012. The Red Devils now struggle to do that amid competition from Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
One of the most sought-after players on the market is France international Mbappe, who is out of contract next summer. Paris Saint-Germain are hoping to agree a new deal with the World Cup winner, but Real Madrid are leading the race for his signature.
United fans would love Erik ten Hag to offer Mbappe a lucrative deal, but Yorke thinks that’ll be difficult if City are still dominating English football. Pep Guardiola’s side have won four out of the last five Premier League titles and are tipped to defend their crown.
Kylian Mbappe is one the world’s best footballers
“I think Man United has always had the pulling power to attract players like Mbappe, but the success on the pitch in recent years hasn’t been able to back that up, and that’s why United are struggling to attract the best players in the world,” Yorke, who played for United between 1998 and 2002, told investment platform Stocklytics.
“I learned from Sir Alex that in order to attract the best players, you need to dominate domestically – something that’s happening across the city. Manchester City have been able to attract the world’s best players due to their success.”
Yorke added: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe is coming now and he’s bought 25 percent of the club. It’s hard to comment on the details, but that tells me he won’t be in full control, so at least that’s a quarter of the club in the right direction!
“It may not have full control, but it gives Ratcliffe enough to get the club to a certain standard. You need to win the domestic league to start attracting the best players, and if we don’t do that, we can forget about Mbappe right now. You have to win and show intent to compete against City and Liverpool.”