Manchester United chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe could reportedly look to hire Mercedes F1 engineer Michael Sansoni to improve the data situation at the club.
United are having a torrid time on the field, currently 14th in the Premier League. Their latest game saw them thumped 4-1 by Newcastle United.
Off the field, Ratcliffe, who took over as chairman in 2024, has overseen some big changes off the field. He switched managers from Erik ten Hag to Ruben Amorim, brought in Omar Berrada, and hired, and then fired Dan Ashworth.
Ratcliffe could be about to make a big move, bringing in somebody who has never worked in football. The part-owner has previously complained about data analysis at Old Trafford, and BBC Sport suggests he’s ‘determined to improve the situation’.
And that could reportedly lead to the appointment of Mercedes F1 engineer Sansoni. He has spent years on the Mercedes team, but is due to leave at the end of the year.
It’s reportedly believed that INEOS – who part-own the Mercedes F1 team – would like to keep him as part of the family, and the fact they have ownership of both teams should ‘smooth the process’.
The move to keep him within the company is something which would be ‘supported’.
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Ratcliffe reportedly wants to make better use of United’s financial muscle, and believes data is a way of doing that. It seems he believes Sansoni can help with that, despite his knowledge being primarily based in cars, and not footballers.
It would not be the first time Ratcliffe has brought in somebody to United who has not previously specialised in football. Dave Brailsford, director of sport at INEOS, has a significant role with the Red Devils, while also overseeing a cycling team.
If the move to bring in a Mercedes employee goes well, United could bring in George Russell to play up top. At around 6ft1in, he’d win some headers, and can’t do much worse than the six goals Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have scored between them in this season’s Premier League, having played 32 and 27 games respectively.
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