Manchester United chief Jason Wilcox explained the approach the club took adopted in this summer’s transfer window was designed to reset the “culture” at Old Trafford.
An insight into INEOS’ approach
Wilcox was officially appointed as the Red Devils’ sporting director in June after joining the club as a technical director from Southampton last year.
But the 54-year-old executive had unofficially been in this role since the previous incumbent, Dan Ashworth, was dismissed in December 2024.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe – United’s co-owner and INEOS chairman – is a huge fan of Wilcox, believing him to have the “best eyes” for talent in English football after his impressive work in Manchester City’s academy.
And it’s this talent ID which was put to strong use this summer with over £200 million invested in a comprehensive overhaul of Ruben Amorim’s squad.
The attacking trident of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Bejamin Sesko were joined by goalkeeper Senne Lammens to arm the Portuguese coach with four first-team upgrades, while deals for Diego Leon and Enzo Kana-Biyik – two youngsters – were also finalised.
Speaking at a gala dinner celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Association of Manchester United Players, Wilcox revealed it was obvious “we needed to change the playing squad” after the club’s worst campaign in the Premier League era.
The primary diagnosis for the dismal 15th-place finish was a lack of goals with a paltry 44 across the 38 league games last season. Only Everton and three relegated sides – Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton – scored fewer.
This explains why three proven goal-scorers were targeted with Wilcox describing them, along with Lammens, as “really good additions”.
However, the director stresses sales were as, if not more, important to INEOS’ approach this summer, with a focus on improving the “culture and the respect” in the dressing room.
The ‘bomb squad’
“Sometimes taking players out of the squad is just as important as the players that you bring in and we’ve got to try and bring the culture and the respect back to Man United,” Wilcox reveals – a clear reference to Amorim’s infamous ‘bomb squad’.
This squad – a group of players made to train separately from the first-team and excluded from the pre-season tour of the United States – comprised Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia.
All five were considered to have no future under the Portuguese coach moving forward and exits were sought for each player.
And as the transfer window slammed shut on September 1, only one player from this incendiary group remained, Malacia – the least explosive member. Not bad going, considering the difficulties involved in some of those deals.
Antony re-joined Real Betis in a permanent £21.6m deal while Garnacho sealed a £40m switch to Chelsea. Sancho and Rashford joined Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively on season-long loans.
Prioritising players who are willing to give their all for the Red shirt – a key focus in the pursuit of the four inbound transfers – is part of INEOS’ attempt to shape a footballing identity at Old Trafford as Wilcox reveals there wasn’t one when he joined last year.
“It has been a rollercoaster! I came in last April, around 18 months ago, and it’s been a real challenge I can’t lie. I thought the club was in a much better place than it was. We had no football identity, we lacked alignment between ownership, the CEO, football and the academy and we’ve just been working so hard behind the scenes.
“The football club needed to go through a period of transformation without doubt. Forget the redundancies. The whole structure of Manchester United needed to change. It’s really important we have a leaner workforce that provides accountability and responsibility…now we’ve got a platform to rebuild.”
INEOS’ reign has been characterised by good intentions and well-worded explanations that, so far, have yet to translate into meaningful improvements on the pitch. But steadying a sinking ship the size of a footballing behemoth like Manchester United is neither a quick nor a simple task.
The fact that actual
football experts are in positions of influence at Old Trafford, such as Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada, and recruitment director Christopher Vivell, is a major improvement on the mess INEOS inherited from the Glazer family.
But they will need Amorim to start producing better results on the pitch if there work off it is to be judged more favourably.
Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
