Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly intervened to block a summer transfer that sporting director Jason Wilcox had arranged, according to a report from the Daily Mail. The move, for an unnamed player, was halted due to the club's strict budget constraints.
Wilcox has faced growing criticism in recent weeks, particularly after Lisandro Martinez's explosive interview, which directly criticised the transfer chief over the club's summer dealings. United had been keen to strengthen their midfield, with Elliot Anderson among the names on their radar.
Wilcox's admiration for Anderson
Wilcox was understood to be a tremendous admirer of the England international, who ultimately joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116m in the summer. Despite this interest, United opted against pursuing the former Newcastle midfielder, instead bringing in Carlos Baleba for £70m, Andrey Santos for £50m and Youri Tielemans for £35m.
According to the Daily Mail, Ratcliffe's stringent budget made a move for Anderson financially unworkable given the constraints the club are operating under. United were ultimately able to recruit two midfielders for the equivalent cost of Anderson, with funds still remaining for Baleba.
Agent describes Wilcox's position as 'incredibly difficult'
Within the same report, one agent described Wilcox's situation as 'incredibly difficult', with pressure mounting on the United transfer chief following a deeply underwhelming summer transfer window. The agent revealed: "Jason is in an incredibly difficult position. Everybody would think he's the decision-maker at the club, but he absolutely isn't."
"Manchester United is run by the owners, Sir Jim and the Glazers. If you sack Wilcox, nothing will change. It's a mess." A further source added: "We had a deal agreed with Jason and then Jim got involved and tried to change it. He ended up killing it."
Martinez's outburst after Champions League defeat
Wilcox found himself on the receiving end of a furious outburst from Martinez following last week's Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid. The Argentinian defender stated: "I have to control myself a lot. But sometimes it's a reflection of how our club is at the moment, you know?"
"We did a fantastic season last season, and now we expect more from the top, from above, you know, to bring more players to compete, because many, many teams bring many players in as well, and today also, Atletico have an amazing team, and they deserved to win today. I expected more from our technical director. I have to be honest, you know? And also, as players, we have to do more, but it's also important when you make a strong squad to be ready for these kinds of nights."
