Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'fumed at Man Utd chiefs' over transfer tactic before big spending spree

Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly fumed about how Manchester United were not ready for the summer transfer window just weeks before his side’s spending spree.

The Red Devils splashed the cash ahead of this season, bolstering their ranks at both ends of the pitch as part of a major overhaul being orchestrated by the newly appointed higher powers at Old Trafford.

United spent over £200million on new signings, with some major sales being used to fund elements of the rebuild.

The Red Devils’ transfer business indicated that there were new ideas being implemented at the Theatre of Dreams, with top targets being pursued vigorously and the club rarely missing out on negotiations that they were prioritising – with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite being the main outlier.

Ratcliffe will certainly be pleased with how his side conducted themselves in the market, especially as he had previously taken aim at how the club would spend big in years gone by.

According to ESPN, the INEOS chief addressed staff in a major meeting in the run-up to the FA Cup final to discuss the future.

During that time, Ratcliffe admitted that he was growing ‘frustrated’ with how the recruitment department was not ‘up to full speed’ and hinted that Newcastle’s reluctance to part ways with Dan Ashworth – which was eventually resolved – was hindering the overall progress that was being made.

The remarks left many feeling that United were heading into another transfer window without sufficient plans in place. However, Ratcliffe’s anger was also caused by the uncertainty over Erik ten Hag.