Manchester United could look to bring in former Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward in the coming months.
A report from The Athletic claims that they could turn to former Liverpool man Julian Ward if Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquires a portion of the club. The Red Devils hierarchy will meet with the British billionaire this week to discuss a minority stake in the club.
Apparently, Ratcliffe is in talks to acquire 25% of the club after the Qatari group headed by Sheikh Jassim pulled out of the race. The Qatari group wanted to pull off a complete takeover of the club. But they have failed to secure an agreement with the Glazers.
Manchester United could certainly use a quality sporting director who will help them sign talented players for reasonable prices. Ward has previously done an impressive job at Liverpool, and he could be a quality acquisition for Manchester United. Ward replaced Michael Edwards at Liverpool before quitting his role.
The opportunity to join one of the biggest clubs in the world will be an attractive option for the German, and it remains to be seen whether all parties can secure an agreement. Manchester United have the resources to sign the best players in the world, and Ward’s expertise could help them unearth bargains and gems in the transfer market.
The likes of Edwards and Ward helped Liverpool sign talented players for reasonable prices and turn them into English and European champions as well. Ward will be expected to make a similar impact at Manchester United if he joins the club.
Manchester United’s transfer business has been heavily criticised since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. They have spent more money than most clubs in the world but have not been able to compete for major trophies for over a decade now.
Assigning the transfer responsibilities to someone like Ward could certainly rectify the situation and help them bring in better-quality players with far greater value for money. Interestingly, Manchester United have also shown interest in Edwards previously.
It will be interesting to see if Ratcliffe manages to acquire his minority stake and bring in the necessary reinforcements to turn Manchester United into the biggest club in English football once again.
