Manchester United’s scouting department is set to take a hit when the next round of job cuts comes around.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is continuing to streamline the club’s workforce and more redundancies are expected to take place. More than 100 jobs are set to go and United’s scouts, of which they are around 80, could face a considerable drop in numbers.
That will inevitably hamper Ruben Amorim‘s plans with the Portuguese boss looking for value and quality in the market, not just the big name signings that the club have become synonymous with. Whilst at Sporting Lisbon Amorim was able to spot a number of individuals who went from unknown quantities to big name stars.
United’s desire to cut the staffing numbers is, in part, down to industry changes which mean scouting has become more data-driven and requires less personnel. The Premier League giants employ up to 30 full-time scouts globally and about 50 on a part-time or casual basis.
Christopher Vivell, the former Chelsea technical director who became United’s recruitment director on a short-term basis in the summer, is expected to be appointed on a permanent basis and will lead a restructured operation, reports the Observer.
United’s full-time scouts work in the UK and globally and they are responsible for identifying potential arrivals for all levels of the club, from first-team to academy. Amorim has players in his squad who were identified as teenagers and have gone on to blossom.
The signing of Amad, who was captured from Atalanta for more than £30million, came about due to United’s global scouting system. That is now set for a major hit and could impact on the club’s recruitment going forward.
Ratcliffe is making the proposed new redundancies as part of a wider cost-cutting drive, but ridding of scouts could prove to be counter productive with Amorim not being blessed with funds. Financial challenges at Old Trafford mean the new manager was limited on how much he could spend last month.
That could again be the case in the summer unless they offload some players for big fees. It means identifying and capturing players that are not being widely talked about will be crucial, but cutting the scope of the club’s scouting operation will only mean they miss out on certain individuals.
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