Man Utd line up move for ex-Chelsea chief in clear hint over transfer plans

Manchester United are looking to land ex-Chelsea guru Jim Fraser, who was axed by the Blues last year, but only after he'd built a stellar reputation for spotting talent in the club's academy

Manchester United are looking to bring in former Chelsea chief Jim Fraser, who was renowned for his talent spotting, as they plot their summer of recruitment. The coming months will be crucial if the club are to make Ruben Amorim's spell a success.

Fraser was at Stamford Bridge for 20 years before he was shown the door, but with his gardening leave coming to a close he can now pursue a new role should the Manchester outfit come calling.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has identified Fraser as a key recruit with the INEOS chief keen to see the club benefit from homegrown talent rather than solely pursue big money signings, reports The Sun. The club have spent millions in the market but many of them have failed to live up to expectations.

King was Chelsea's academy chief and enjoys a stellar reputation for unearthing top young stars. During his time at the Cobham base he was able to spot the likes of Mason Mount, Conor Gallagher, Reece James, Tammy Abraham and Marc Guehi.

United are in the midst of cutting about 200 jobs, which includes ridding of several scouts as they shake up the way the go about identifying talent. The Red Devils have a long tradition of using their academy.

Kobbie Mainoo has been the biggest recent success story and he's become a mainstay in the first-team picture. The likes of Harry Amass have also been given opportunities with the club potentially having to make a greater use of their academy should their funds be limited.

United's overhaul has seen leading figures like director of football operations David Harrison leaving his role. Earlier this season Dan Ashworth was shown the door after just a matter of months with his switch from Newcastle not working out despite him impressing in previous job.

Ratcliffe has overseen one summer of recruitment since coming in, but a host of those signings have not worked out. The likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt have not had the desired affect with the club poised to post their worst ever Premier League finish.

Amorim has made it clear that he wants to bring in players who suit his system, not necessarily the headline names. He said: “I want to focus on our strengths and try to use our club to bring [in] one or two players, big players. When I say big players, it’s not players from Real Madrid, it’s big players in the way I see the game.”