Ten Hag in dreamland with Ratcliffe gunning to sign new Harry Kane for Man Utd, as report reveals four top targets
New Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to sign a striker on the level of Harry Kane that can play alongside Rasmus Hojlund, while also improving three other parts of Erik ten Hag’s squad, a report has claimed.
On Christmas Eve, Man Utd confirmed that Ratcliffe had agreed a £1.3billion deal to purchase a 25 per cent stake in the club from the Glazer family. The British billionaire watched his first Man Utd game on Sunday, as the Red Devils were held to a 2-2 draw by Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe said he was ‘very excited’ to be in attendance and labelled his partial ownership of Man Utd as the most exciting thing he has done in his entire career.
As Ratcliffe is one of the richest people in Britain, his arrival has got Man Utd fans excited about which top-class players they might now be able to afford.
According to the Evening Standard, the 71-year-old’s colossal wealth means Ten Hag should be able to sign some big-name stars in the summer without being at risk of breaking Financial Fair Play rules. However, the manager will have to endure a rather quiet winter window first.
Ratcliffe, alongside his INEOS team, is eager to overhaul the football operations at Man Utd so that the club can start fighting for major silverware on a regular basis. And he has already drawn up an ambitious list of possible signings.
This fresh report states that Ratcliffe is happy with Hojlund and thinks the 20-year-old will improve, though he does want a top goalscorer to join and play alongside him up front. It is claimed that Man Utd are on the lookout for a Harry Kane-level striker, though it does not reveal exactly who that might be.
One option is former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema, whom Man Utd have been tipped to sign on loan from Al Ittihad.
Ratcliffe to kickstart new Man Utd era with four signings – report
Man Utd have also expressed an interest in Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller and Stuttgart hitman Serhou Guirassy.
In addition to a new centre-forward, Ratcliffe wants to revitalise Ten Hag’s squad by landing a new No 8, centre-half and right-back.
Out of those three positions, Man Utd have done the most groundwork for signing a new centre-back. They have held initial talks with Ratcliffe’s other club, Nice, over the possibility of signing Jean-Clair Todibo. Other targets include Lille’s young defender Leny Yoro and Antonio Silva of Benfica.
Whichever centre-back arrives at Man Utd in the summer, they will likely replace Raphael Varane. He has been heavily linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia after being left frustrated by Ten Hag’s decision to select Harry Maguire ahead of him when both players are fit.
Should Man Utd bolster all four positions in the summer, then their spending could surpass the £200m mark. After all, it will be tough to sign an elite striker for less than £80m in the current market, while Nice are holding out for around £50m for Todibo.
Man Utd supporters have had to suffer in recent years, but Ratcliffe and INEOS appear determined to bring the glory days back to the Theatre of Dreams – and that could start with some brilliant new signings.
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