As the “excitement of the new” wore off, the last few days haven’t been the best for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos regime at Manchester United.
From the rising ticket price and the fierce opposition by Man Utd fans against it to Ruben Amorim’s team stumbling to a shock loss vs Nottingham Forest, things weren’t so rosy.
The problems were compounded as indecision reigned supreme at Old Trafford in the wake of Dan Ashworth’s shock departure from Man Utd.
All these events coming so quickly in succession contributed to an aura of malaise at the club but Ineos have sent a big reminder of their fierce ambition for the club with a statement move that should excite fans for the future.
CEO at Manchester United, Omar Berrada, attends the first day of Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 12, 2024. The largest technology confe...
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Man Utd close to exciting signing
The off-field decisions have been sketchy, the executive structure has already been shaken, the results on the pitch have been underwhelming but there’s one area where there’s clear improvement.
That is in the transfer market and the ambition shown by the new ownership regime, particularly in their aggressive recruiting of youth prospects.
From the statement capture of Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal to the likes of Samuel Lusale, Sekou Kone, and more last summer alone, there’s a clear and concerted effort to get players before they become superstars.
That is the kind of thinking that was missing before they arrived. Ineos now look close to adding another string to their bow with Man Utd’s signing of Diego Leon from Cerro Porteno.
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Diego Leon, a 17-year-old exciting left-back from Paraguay, has been tipped as one of the country’s brightest footballing talents. Recent reports indicate that United are in advanced negotiations for the player.
Leon is already a first-team regular for one of Paraguay’s biggest football clubs in Cerro Porteno, garnering interest from European elites so this is quite a statement move.
Ineos want the best for Man Utd but are learning on the job
This move for Leon is a reminder that Ineos possess far more ambition for the club than the Glazers ever did and even though that’s not a high bar to clear, it’s certainly much better.
They want the best for Man Utd and at times, their desperation to see the club return to the top as quickly as possible can result in mistakes.
Dan Ashworth’s hiring and subsequent departure within five months stands as the biggest example of that phenomenon to date.
It’s clear that their experiences with OGC Nice and FC Lausanne Sport have helped them but running a club the size of Man Utd is different gravy altogether.
Every mistake is magnified and every success is celebrated only until the next mistake, which is always around the corner when so many decisions are to be made on a daily basis.
For every Ashworth departure, there will be a Diego Leon arrival and those kinds of moves are enough to satiate fans that they at least have the club’s best interests at heart.
To reach the promised land will be full of ditches, though, and that’s something that is the cost of success at this point after so many years of apathy under the Glazers.
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