04 October 2023 , 12:14
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has identified Paul Mitchell as a candidate to become Manchester United's transfer chief, if he completes his takeover of the club.
Ratcliffe, the billionaire chairman of chemical giant INEOS, has been battling Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani for control of the Red Devils. The current owners, the Glazers, are still yet to make a decision on which bid to accept, with neither matching their asking price.
The Englishman has now attempted to break the deadlock by changing his offer, with Ratcliffe instead pursuing a minority ownership of United. And he is moving his plans further forward by mapping out how the club's football structure may look if his bid is accepted.
That looks set to start with the appointment of Paul Mitchell as United's next transfer chief. According to CBS Sports, he is being 'considered' to take over at Old Trafford if Ratcliffe's bid is accepted.
Mitchell recently departed AS Monaco, where he worked as the Ligue 1 side's sporting director. He is yet to have a role lined up and will instead take time out to assess his options.
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His departure from the Stade Louis II had been expected, with Mitchell confirming in March that he was moving on. After his exit was confirmed, Monaco paid tribute to his work since arriving three years ago.
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Paul Mitchell is on Sir Jim Ratcliffe's shortlist to take over as Manchester United's transfer chief (VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)"Ben Lambrecht is stepping down from his position – CEO and board member – by mutual agreement with the Club. AS Monaco announce the departure of Paul Mitchell, who has held the position of Sporting Director since 2020," a club statement read.
"During this time, Paul Mitchell has helped to revitalize the club’s sporting policy by implementing a number of changes, including qualification for the French Cup final (2021) and two European qualifiers in three seasons (2021 and 2022).
"Recently, Paul Mitchell has been involved in ensuring a successful transition of the new team, leaving the club with solid foundations capable of achieving good results in the future. The Club would like to thank Paul Mitchell and Ben Lambrecht for their commitment and wish them all the best in his future endeavors."
Ratcliffe is shifting his focus to minority ownership after talks over a full buyout stalled. Such a move may not go down well with United fans though, who are desperate for the Glazers to leave the club.
The proposal would allow the Glazers to retain a significant shareholding in the Premier League giants, though precise details of the fresh proposal have yet to be released. According to Sky News, he would acquire chunks of both their shares and the stock publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in equal proportion.
While Ratcliffe is changing tack, his main rival Sheikh Jassim is making insistent on his plan. The Qatari banker is aiming to complete a 100 per cent buyout of all the club's shareholders, though there are concerns about his financial clout.