Manchester United

Man United are currently down in 14th position in the Premier League table after winning nine, drawing seven and losing 12 of their 28 top-flight matches this season.

They were knocked out of the EFL Cup quarter-finals by Tottenham Hotspur in December, while they lost on penalties to Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round earlier this month.

As a result, their only viable passage to securing European qualification is by winning the Europa League, with Man United set to face Real Sociedad in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday.

Ratcliffe, Man United's co-owner, has backed head coach Ruben Amorim despite the club's poor run of results, insisting that he has done an "excellent job" since replacing Erik ten Hag in November.

Ratcliffe namechecks five Man United players

However, Ratcliffe namechecked Casemiro, Antony, Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund and Jadon Sancho when he lamented the instalments the club still have to pay from transfers agreed prior to his arrival at Old Trafford.

"If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn't buy, we're buying Antony, we're buying Casemiro, we're buying Onana, we're buying Hojlund, we're buying Sancho," Ratcliffe said in an interview with BBC Sport.

"These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we've inherited those things and have to sort that out.

"For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we're paying £17m to buy him in the summer."

Ratcliffe attacks "overpaid" players

Sancho was signed in a £73m transfer from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021, Antony completed an £81.5m move from Ajax in 2022, before he joined Real Betis on loan in the recent winter window after he failed to live up to the significant fee.

Man United also made a number of other high-profile additions in the summer of 2022, recruiting Casemiro for £70m, Hojlund for £72m and Onana for £47.2m.

Ratcliffe was asked whether he was suggesting those players were not good enough to play for Man United.

"Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid," Ratcliffe said. "But for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.

"We've got this period of transformation where we move from the past to the future. There are some great players in the squad as we know, the captain is a fabulous footballer. We definitely need Bruno Fernandes, he's a fantastic footballer."

Fernandes has been in impressive form in recent weeks, having scored three goals and provided two assists in the last seven competitive matches.

Written by

Ben Sully