Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘axes two more Man Utd hotshots’ as ruthless sackings continue

The brutal overhaul at Manchester United is reportedly about to claim two more high-profile victims. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has set about drastically reducing the staff numbers at Old Trafford since acquiring part-ownership last year, with hundreds of redundancies affecting multiple departments.

Director of football insights and innovations Richard Hawkins, and director of football operations David Harrison are believed to be the latest to get the chop. According to The Athletic, both members of the senior leadership team have been informed that their roles are being scrapped as part of the ongoing reshuffle overseen by Ratcliffe. And discussions over the terms of their exits are already underway.

Hawkins has played a prominent role in United's sports science department since assuming his current position in March 2023. Before that, he had been a human performance manager, head of athletic training services, and head of physical performance with the Red Devils.

Harrison was hired by John Murtough - United's former director of football - and arrived at Old Trafford with a healthy reputation after previously spending nearly three decades at Everton. Harrison has overseen football administration matters, accommodation for the first team, and operations at Carrington as part of his current position.

Both men are set to be part of the latest wave of redundancies, which were announced by CEO Omar Berrada in February.

Ratcliffe reportedly wants to axe another 200 people, following on from the 250 that were let go less than a year ago. By the time the firing spree is over, United will have lost around a third of their original workforce.

The INEOS owner, who has an estimated net worth of over £12billion, has sought to justify the job cuts at Old Trafford by assuring fans that the money saved will be spent on improving Ruben Amorim's squad.

He told the BBC in March: "Ultimately, if you look at running the club the size of Manchester United with an income of about £650million, you spend a part of that £650m on operating the club and part of it on the squad.

"Where do you want to spend the money? Do you want to spend it on operating the club, or do you want to spend it on the squad? Because if you spend it on the squad you get better results. And at the end of the day, what's Manchester United here for if it's not to win trophies and silverware? What we want to do is invest in the best players in the world if we can."