Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave a bombshell interview with BBC Sport earlier this week, calling out underperforming stars, addressing controversial redundancies, and revealing plans for a 100,000-seater stadium to replace Old Trafford.
In his wide-ranging conversation with Dan Roan, the INEOS chief also touched on the futures of young stars Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, both of whom have been linked to Chelsea in recent months.
Mainoo, 19, has two years left on his contract but has yet to sign a new deal, reportedly demanding around £150,000 per week – a figure United are reluctant to match.
Chelsea are said to be keen on the midfielder, with star player Cole Palmer seemingly giving his seal of approval to a potential move.
Meanwhile, Garnacho, 20, was reportedly the subject of a bidding war between Chelsea and Napoli in January, but neither club met United's £60 million valuation of the Argentine winger.
Asked whether United need to sell both players to ease financial pressures, Ratcliffe was unequivocal.
“No, no. We won’t be selling players because of the state we are in financially,” he said. “The way we are resolving the financial issue is to cut the… the club had got bloated, so we reduced that and will finish it with a lean and efficient organisation. That’s how we will address the costs.”
Ratcliffe added that player decisions will largely be handled by chief executive Omar Berrada, head coach Ruben Amorim, and technical director Jason Wilcox.
“The player decisions are ones that Omar, Ruben, and Jason—and a bit me—will make in the summer,” he explained. “And that will all be focused on how we are going to improve performance. That’s all.”
Ratcliffe not closing door on Mainoo and Garnacho exits
Everything Chelsea says...
While Ratcliffe’s comments on Mainoo and Garnacho may seem like good news for United fans – and, depending on perspective, bad news for Chelsea supporters – he hasn’t ruled out their departures from Old Trafford.
He simply stated they won’t be sold for financial reasons but didn’t exclude the possibility of exits based on performance.
In fact, the only player Ratcliffe explicitly said United should keep is captain Bruno Fernandes. “The captain is a fabulous footballer. We definitely need Bruno,” he told Roan.
Everyone else will seemingly have to prove their worth before the season ends to avoid the axe.
Realistically, Mainoo is an exceptionally talented midfielder who not only starred at the European Championships for England last summer but has also been a regular under Amorim. He has received high praise from United legends like Paul Scholes and Roy Keane – whose opinions still carry weight at Old Trafford – making it likely he remains central to the club’s plans.
Garnacho, however, has been in and out of Amorim’s side and has faced criticism from both the Portuguese manager and members of the Class of ’92. Even fans have questioned his perceived greed in the final third.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s allowed to leave this summer, potentially paving the way for a move to Stamford Bridge.
In our humble opinion? We wish it were the other way around. Mainoo would be welcomed at the Bridge with open arms, but Garnacho? We’d let him go to Napoli.
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