Ratcliffe rules out Manchester United spending big ‘on couple of great players’

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said Manchester United will not be trying to land superstar signings such as Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappé.

The Ineos chairman has taken control of footballing operations at United after his minority shareholding purchase and wants to turn them back into the force they once were. However, he believes spending big on marquee signings is not the way to prosper.

Related: The cultural division of football fans only serves those who wish to exploit it | Jonathan Liew

Appearing as a guest on the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast, the 71-year-old was asked whether he would try to sign Bellingham. He replied: “He is a great footballer. It’s not where our focus is; the solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players.

“They have done that, if you look at the last 10 years, they have spent a lot of money on a couple of great players. The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes who are managing and organising the club. And make sure we get recruitment right, it is such a vital part of football today.”

Later he was given a choice of signing Mbappé for United or the cyclist Tadej Pogacar for his Ineos team and he said: “I would rather sign the next Mbappé rather than spend a fortune buying success. It’s not that clever buying Mbappé. Anyone could figure that one out. More challenging is to find the next Mbappé or next Bellingham or next Roy Keane.”

Ratcliffe praised the patience Arsenal have shown with Mikel Arteta when questioned on who could win the Premier League this season. United have to decide whether to stand by Erik ten Hag as their manager.

Asked who he would like to see finish as champions, Ratcliffe jokingly said of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City: “I hate them all … they’re all the enemy.” He went on to say of a prospective Arsenal title win: “It would be good for Arteta, actually. It would be good for him because he’s done really well and Arsenal have been patient with him, which is nice as well.”

Ratcliffe, who outlined that he and Sir Dave Brailsford were the two main decision makers, said United could have a 100,000-capacity stadium if they pushed ahead with plans to build a new ground rather than develop Old Trafford. “If you built a completely new ground it would absolutely be state-of-the-art, world class, 90,000 [capacity] or maybe even 100,000,” he said. “And that then provides a platform for some of the big competition in the north of England.”

The United midfielder Christian Eriksen has said he is unhappy with his game time after 11 starts this season. He told the Danish publication Tipsbladet: “I’ve had a conversation with Erik that of course I’m unhappy with the situation and that I want to play as much as possible, but that I’m available and have to be available for the team, which I am and always will be.

“He said it was the team he had chosen and Kobbie [Mainoo] is doing well and the rest of the centre is doing well as well, so there is a fight for places, which is to be expected … The team is performing and so I have to respect the role you have.”