By Chris Wheeler and Sami Mokbel for the Daily Mail
22:30 23 November 2023, updated 23:36 23 November 2023
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.3bn investment could finally be confirmed next week
- He will face a difficult decision over the futures of Casemiro and Raphael Varane
- No-one is fooled by the nature of Man United’s performances this season – GOOD
Sir Jim Ratcliffe faces a critical decision over the futures of Casemiro and Raphael Varane once he takes control of football operations at Manchester United.
Ratcliffe’s £1.3 billion investment could finally be confirmed next week when the New York Stock Exchange reopens after the Thanksgiving break.
Billionaire Ineos and its sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford are expected to join a new football committee once Ratcliffe acquires a 25% stake in the club from the Glazer family.
United have already announced that chief executive Richard Arnold will leave before the end of the year and director of football John Murtaugh is also likely to leave as Ratcliffe focuses on improving recruitment.
United paid Real Madrid a total of £112m for Casemiro and Varane, despite the pair being 30 and 28 respectively when they moved to Old Trafford on lucrative, long-term deals.
Both were instrumental in Erik ten Hag’s impressive first season at the club but have struggled this term and approach the January transfer window with a question mark over their futures.
Casemiro looked out of form and fitness at the start of the season, and is out until after Christmas with a hamstring injury. The Brazilian has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in January. Even if he stays, his future is likely to be discussed in the summer.
Varane, meanwhile, has fallen out of favor with Ten Hag, so that their relationship has effectively collapsed. A frank exchange of views is believed to have taken place after Varane was withdrawn for the Manchester derby last month and the Frenchman has made just three substitute appearances since then.
The 30-year-old is said to be unhappy that Jonny Evans was picked ahead of him and Victor Lindelof was then selected to play alongside Harry Maguire against Luton two weeks ago when Evans was injured.
“Maguire took his chance when Varane was absent. When the moment comes, you take it and the other person has to fight back,” Ten Hag told beIN Sports on Thursday.
Bayern Munich have expressed an interest in signing Varane in a £25m deal in January, but it is unlikely the Germans can afford his £340,000-a-week wages. United have discussed replacements but a move for Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo may involve a conflict of interest due to Ratcliffe’s ownership of the French side.
The unity between the squad that was so strong last season is missing, not helped by the split between the players over the decision to banish Jadon Sancho.
It is symptomatic of the division in the camp between players who welcome the Dutchman’s discipline and those who do not.
Privately, some on the coaching staff have discussed taking a softer approach to getting all the players closer to a crucial stretch of games.
It starts with Sunday’s trip to Goodison Park to face an Everton side smarting from a 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules. Asked if it’s a bad time to play Everton, Ten Haag said: “That’s definitely the case. They take more fuel. It could also work against them.”