Man Utd to set up 'transfer committee' of former players

Rio Ferdinand, Nicky Butt and Darren Fletcher have reportedly been asked to form a transfer committee whose task would be to recruit players with the United DNA.

After a string of expensive signings that have failed to light up Old Trafford in recent years, Manchester United have proposed establishment of a three-man committee to oversee player recruitment, according to British daily The Sun.

Club legends Rio Ferdinand, Nicky Butt and Darren Fletcher have reportedly been asked to form the committee, which would be tasked with scouring the transfer market for players deemed to possess the United DNA.

The change in sporting direction comes after a disappointing season for the Red Devils, which saw them fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Several high-profile players are tipped to leave the club this summer, including Paul Pogba, David de Gea and Juan Mata, while Ander Herrera has already agreed terms with PSG.

That will leave coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with the tough task of finding the right players to rebuild his squad for next season. And the club will be weary of wasting more money flops going forward.

Solskjaer could welcome support of former United team mates

“You have to have a certain kind of attitude about you to make you a Manchester United player. Our fans want to see exciting players, it’s always been in our culture. You have to have that work ethic,” the Norweigan coach said recently regarding the type of players he is looking for.

As such, Solskjaer may welcome the support of a committee of former United players in the search for the kind of players that fit the club.

United’s proposed new sporting direction is similar to that already adopted by Premier League rivals Liverpool, where coach Jurgen Klopp works together with sporting director Michael Edwards, head of recruitment Dave Fallows and goalkeeping coach John Achteberg on player recruitment.

Fletcher recommendation: Stoke’s Nathan Collins.

Stoke midfielder Fletcher, who has yet to officially announce his retirement from football, has reportedly been asked to head up the three-man committee. And according to reports in the UK last week, the former Scotland international has already recommended that the Red Devils sign his Stoke team mate, 18-year-old centre back Nathan Collins.

The Irish teenagar, who made made the step up to Stoke’s senior team in April, could be seen as one of the long-term solutions to United’s issues at the back, along with other defensive targets, Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt and Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli.