Sir Jim Ratcliffe plans major transfer overhaul at Manchester United

United is considering Michael Edwards or Paul Mitchell for the role of sporting director once Sir Jim Ratcliffe becomes the owner. The Mirror reports that if Edwards declines the position, it could pave the way for Mitchell to take on a similar role at the club.

Once Ratcliffe’s £1.3 billion offer for a 25% minority stake in the club is given the green light, changes are expected to occur at Old Trafford. Chief executive Richard Arnold will be departing in December, and Ratcliffe intends to make additional off-field alterations. The 71-year-old individual plans to completely revamp the club’s approach to player recruitment and select a new sports director. Mitchell, who has demonstrated his talent in the transfer market throughout Europe, may be the perfect fit for the position. Having previously worked at Monaco, Southampton, and Tottenham, he brings valuable Premier League knowledge and expertise. Palace, along with other Premier League teams, is closely monitoring Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley. The Sun has stated that Palace is one of the teams keeping an eye on the Denmark Under-21 player, who transferred to Celtic from MK Dons in January 2022. O’Riley recently extended his contract with Celtic in September, but offers exceeding £10 million might entice the Scottish champions. However, a potential transfer is more likely to occur in the following summer rather than in January. Newcastle and Leicester have also observed O’Riley’s performance for Denmark U21s.

Concerns arise regarding Chelsea’s association with Roman Abramovich once more. According to the Evening Standard, the club is currently under investigation for a number of undisclosed transactions that took place while Abramovich was in charge. These transactions, which occurred over a period of ten years, are suspected of violating football regulations, specifically those related to financial fair play. It is believed that these payments were advantageous to Chelsea, however, they were not reported in the club’s yearly financial statements submitted to the Premier League, FA, and UEFA.