The prospective takeover of Manchester United by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a British billionaire, appears to be gaining momentum, pending approval from the Glazer family.



Although initially a minority investment,<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ratcliffe-deal-unlikely-to-impact-manchester-united-transfers-20231017-WST-462603.html"> Ratcliffe</a> seems increasingly confident about securing the initial phase of a potential buyout. 



Notably, his principal competitor, Qatari banker <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/no-qatar-takeover-for-man-utd-sheikh-jassim-looks-elsewhere-20231014-WST-462247.html">Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani</a>, recently withdrew from the process of acquiring the Premier League side.



This decision came about as he couldn’t meet the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/glazers-remain-at-the-core-of-uniteds-decade-of-struggles-20231015-WST-461707.html">Glazers</a>‘ valuation with his 100% offer and grew frustrated with their demands. Meanwhile, both groups had submitted bids of approximately $6 billion.



<h5>Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to introduce big changes</h5>



The precise structure of an Ineos minority stake and whether the Glazers would accept it remains uncertain. Nonetheless, it’s reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is already formulating plans for the potential reconfiguration of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-united-tv-schedule/">Manchester United</a>‘s structure.



This could mark the beginning of a much-needed overhaul in the sporting aspects of the club. 



There have been issues with the club’s management in recent years, which have negatively impacted their on-field performances. In fact, United have undergone several managerial changes since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.



Thus, the 70-year-old appears to be eager to bring former Monaco executive Paul Mitchell to the club, with the Englishman being considered as the ideal candidate for the role of sporting director at Old Trafford. 



According to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2023/10/21/monaco-paul-mitchell-man-utd-sporting-director-ratcliffe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Telegraph</a>, the former defender is currently the leading contender for the position under the prospective ownership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.



<h5>Paul Mitchell is well-known among Premier League executives</h5>



Mitchell, who hails from Manchester, boasts prior experience in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/watch-premier-league-on-us-tv-internet/">Premier League</a> through his roles as a sporting director at Southampton and Tottenham. It appears that he is being viewed as the individual who can address and rectify the club’s recruitment and structural challenges.



It’s reported that the 42-year-old has already relocated to the north-west of England, and there is significant anticipation regarding what he can contribute to the efforts at Old Trafford.



For those who may not be familiar with him, Paul Mitchell is widely recognized as a recruitment specialist in European soccer. His accomplishments include the successful signings of outstanding talents such as Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic during his tenure at Southampton.



He also played a key role in bringing <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/spurs-keen-to-avert-kane-deja-vu-with-decision-on-sons-future-20230922-WST-458023.html">Heung-min Son</a> and Toby Alderweireld to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/tottenham-tv-schedule/">Tottenham</a>. For Mitchell, the Red Devils could be an enticing destination if Sir Jim Ratcliffe helps to provide the financial resources to support his ideas and strategies.



Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images

Ratcliffe to name familiar EPL figure as Man Utd sporting director

Jim Ratcliffe's potential takeover holds the promise of initiating a much-needed transformation in the sporting dimension of Man United.

Ratcliffe to name familiar EPL figure as Man Utd sporting director - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/espn-300x300.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/espn-300x300.jpg"></a></figure></div>
<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/espn-300x300.jpg"></a>EPL Talk Podcast host Richard Farley recently conducted a brilliant interview with ESPN director Grant Best on our sister podcast,&nbsp;<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com" target="_blank">Major League Soccer</a>. The interview was so good that I wanted to be sure to share it with you here on EPL Talk. The topics that Best and Farley cover are perfect for the EPL Talk audience. Grant Best has the enviable position of being director of soccer coverage for ESPN, which means he’s one of the main blokes who picks and chooses which camera shots in a live game to show to the viewers.
Sounds easy enough but there’s a lot more to his role than that. And even when he’s in the production booth and has the role of picking and choosing which camera shots to put on television, his decisions have a massive influence in how the game itself is perceived by the viewer — everything from offside calls, to how the pace of the game is perceived to the atmosphere in the crowd and much more.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes into putting together a soccer broadcast, this is a must listen interview for you.&nbsp;Best accounts his memories of exciting World Cup games, discusses the plans for this summer’s World Cup and talks about his role in helping out the launch of the ESPN UK network with the help of the entire ESPN team.

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Ratcliffe to name familiar EPL figure as Man Utd sporting director

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Interview with Grant Best, Director of ESPN's Soccer Coverage