Sir Jim Ratcliffe has provided a potential clue over his transfer strategy at Manchester United amid reports he is planning to offer a current player a new deal to stay at the club.
INEOS founder Ratcliffe has taken over football operations at Old Trafford, with former Manchester City chief football operations officer Omar Berrada joining him at United as the club's new chief executive officer.
The Premier League club are reportedly working on deals to hire a new sporting director, head of recruitment and technical chief scout as Ratcliffe looks to overhaul the team behind the scenes.
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It has been a fairly quiet January transfer window so far for United, with departures rather than new arrivals taking the headlines.
Jadon Sancho left to join Borussia Dortmund on loan after a public falling out with manager Erik ten Hag, while the likes of Donny van de Beek, Hannibal Mejbri and Dan Gore have also left on loan.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions are preventing United from investing heavily in their squad before they first sell players.
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While Ten Hag will have his eye on new summer signings, he is also keen to tie down players to new contracts.
The Sun claim United are working to convince Scott McTominay to agree to a contract extension at Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old’s current contract with the club expires next summer, and he has been linked with moves to Bayern Munich, Newcastle and West Ham.
Despite coming close to being sold last summer, the midfielder has impressed Ten Hag with his performances in recent months and the club are now planning to activate a clause to extend his contract by a further year.
It is part of a wider strategy from Ratcliffe to build the team around British players.
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A source told The Sun: "Scott has turned his career around at Manchester United. He's been one of the few bright points of a dismal season so far and has showed a new side to his game, scoring goals from midfield.
"He, along with Harry Maguire, were very close to joining other clubs in the summer.
"But now both players are seen as part of the future. The owners are very keen to invest in British players which is why Scott is likely to be offered an additional year on his current deal."
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Manchester United, Scott Mctominay, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Football, Transfers