Jim Ratcliffe could fulfil 'next Mbappe' wish if Man Utd manage to pull off stunning triple swoop - opinion

When Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed his minority takeover of Manchester United in early 2024, he would come out a few weeks later to outline his future transfer vision for the Red Devils.

United have spent hundreds of millions of pounds in recent transfer windows - to no great affect as players who have arrived for big fees and on big wages have disappointed more often than not.

Last March, France superstar Kylian Mbappe announced his decision to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract, as he would go on to join Real Madrid on a free transfer last summer. Amid speculation over Mbappe’s future after he confirmed his intention to leave PSG, Ratcliffe was asked about the situation.

What Jim Ratcliffe said about buying the next Kylian Mbappe for Manchester United

"I think in a way what I would rather do is try to sign the next Mbappé than spend a fortune trying to buy success," Ratcliffe told Geraint Jones last year on his Cycling Club podcast. “It's not that clever buying Mbappé, anyone can figure that one out. What's much more challenging is to find the next Mbappé or [Jude] Bellingham or Roy Keane."

He added: "The solution isn't spending a lot of money on a couple of great players. They've done that if you look at what they've done the last 10 years, they have spent a lot of money on a couple of great players.

"The first thing you need to do is get the right people in the right boxes managing the club and make sure we get recruitment right, that's such a vital part of a football club, getting recruitment right."

United have already shown their desire to sign some of the best young players in the world after snatching Chido Obi-Martin and Ayden Heaven from Premier League rivals Arsenal. Both players have made their senior debuts for the Red Devils this season and look set to play a key part in the club’s future.

Man United’s interest in PSG trio could help Ratcliffe fulfil his ‘next Mbappe’ wish

Over the weekend it was revealed by United in Focus that highly-rated Paris Saint-Germain trio Axel Tape, Mahamadou Sangare and Oumar Camara were of interest to United. It comes after a report from L’Equipe in France that all three of the players were likely to leave PSG amid interest from a number of clubs across Europe.

All three players were born in 2007. Tape is a centre back who has already made his first-team debut for PSG while Camara plays in the forward positions with the strongest interest in him coming from Germany. Meanwhile, Sangare is said to be attracting interest from Troyes FC - who are owned by The City Football Group. The player scored eight goals in six games in the UEFA Youth League. But, as noted, United have an interest in all three players and with their contracts up in Paris they could land a stunning triple swoop for the players.

United have shown their pulling power by attracting Obi Martin and Heaven to the club from Arsenal. The interest in the outgoing PSG trio appears widespread and the races for their signatures could prove intense. However, even if United could convince just one of them to join it could prove a masterstroke in the coming years as Ratcliffe aims for the club to find the best players at a young age and fulfil his ambitions of getting the recruitment back on track at Old Trafford.

Signing all three players could save United millions in the coming seasons - and with the club battling to operate within profit and sustainability rules, signing potential superstars at a young age could play a part in getting the club back to the top of the English game.