17 January 2024 , 11:42
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Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford has established that Manchester United are overstaffed amid plans to streamline operations at the club.
Brailsford, 59, is the right-hand man of Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is poised to become a minority shareholder in the club once his £1.25billion agreement with the Glazers is formally ratified. Ratcliffe and co. will assume full control of sporting operations at Old Trafford per the terms of said deal and Brailsford is expected to play a prominent role in United's future.
The former cycling director has been present at every United game since Ratcliffe's deal was formally announced on Christmas Eve and recently met with Erik ten Hag at the club's Carrington training base.
According to a new report from The Mail, Brailsford has been Ratcliffe's 'eyes and ears on the ground' in Manchester and has already noted the volume of staffing at the club as he identifies areas where savings can be made.
A separate report from The Mail last month outlined that Ratcliffe was also of the opinion that United are overstaffed, with figures showing the club employ far more people than the Premier League's other top sides.
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As of December, United employed 1112 people, whereas Liverpool have around 900 staff. United also have considerably more employees than Manchester City and Arsenal, who have 720 and 700 people on their books respectively.
Although Ineos have around 25,000 employees within the company, they have garnered a reputation for being lean operators - an approach that Ratcliffe could replicate at Manchester United.
Join the debate! Do you think Ratcliffe's arrival is a positive thing, Man Utd fans? Let us know here.
Brailsford is expected to play a prominent role under Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Manchester United via Getty Images)Ratcliffe, 71, attended his first match since his acquisition of a 25 per cent share in the club was formally announced on Sunday and addressed the media ahead of the 2-2 draw against Tottenham.
The British billionaire told reporters: "It's the first match for me since we sort of got there, if you like. I am very excited to be here, but I can't answer any questions, really, because that would be inappropriate, honestly. It's a big match... we normally do well against Spurs!"
He went on to admit that the decision to invest in his boyhood club "caps" everything else he has done in business but was reluctant to comment on questions specifically about Manchester United's plans in the January transfer window.