MANCHESTER, England (AP) – British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe continued his transformation at Manchester United on Friday by appointing Jason Wilcox as technical director.
Ratcliffe took over the reins of United's struggling football operations after securing a 25% stake in the prestigious club in February.
A new CEO has been hired and a sports director is also on his wanted list.
Wilcox, who United announced as an immediate starter, is seen as a key addition for Ratcliffe ahead of his first summer transfer window. He joined from second-tier Southampton, where he was director of football. He was previously Academy Director at Manchester City.
“He will work with all technical areas of the football department to achieve the highest standards of performance,” United said in a statement.
Wilcox is Ratcliffe's latest hire with City ties.
Former City Director Omar Berrada became CEO in January. United said at the time that Berrada was key to their determination to “put football and performance on the pitch back at the heart of everything we do”.
Mr Berrada is City Football Group's Chief Football Operations Officer and previously held senior roles at Barcelona. He has not yet started his job at United.
Wilcox's appointment comes after former director of football John Murtagh resigned this month.
United's recruiting record has often been criticized since former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 due to poor on-field performance. United have not won the Premier League since then.
Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth is also a target of Mr Ratcliffe, owner of petrochemical giant INEOS, who paid $1.3 billion for a minority stake.
Among United's other plans, Mr Ratcliffe has formed a taskforce to look at rebuilding and modernizing the club's iconic Old Trafford stadium.
INEOS Sports Director Dave Brailsford and CEO Jean-Claude Blanc have joined the football club's board. Brailsford is credited with contributing to the success of British cycling in recent years. Blanc held important positions at Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain.
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