Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has blasted some of his troubled club’s stars as “not good enough” and “probably overpaid”.
Ratcliffe made his scathing assessment after enduring a dismal start to his reign at Old Trafford since taking charge of football operations in February last year.
The British billionaire named Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Antony as the chief causes of his frustration.
Sancho and Antony are currently on loan at Chelsea and Real Betis respectively after underachieving with United.
In reference to United still paying instalments of transfer fees on several players, Ratcliffe, who shares ownership with the US-based Glazer family, told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Monday: “If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho.
“These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.
“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17 million to buy him in the summer.”
Asked if he was suggesting those players were not good enough for United, Ratcliffe said: “Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.”
After United finished eighth in the Premier League last season and won the FA Cup, Ratcliffe and his United advisors opted to stick with boss Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman was subsequently sacked in October and replaced by Ruben Amorim after United endured another wretched run.
INEOS chairman Ratcliffe has accepted the decision to keep Ten Hag was a mistake.
He applied the same verdict to his decision to hire Dan Ashworth as sporting director, a role he left in December after just five months.
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“I agree the Erik ten Tag and Dan Ashworth decisions were errors,” the 72-year-old said.
