Man Utd 'in advanced talks' with Mercedes F1 guru as Sir Jim Ratcliffe eyes key recruit

part-owner is reportedly hoping to pinch one of the leading brains from the F1 set-up. Ratcliffe's company, , owns one third of the Silver Arrows, and he could use that to his advantage by making a key appointment at Old Trafford.

The billionaire businessman has made a number of sweeping personnel changes since buying into United last year. From laying off hundreds of staff, to changing the manager, to bringing in CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox, there are numerous senior Red Devils figures who were not involved with the club before Ratcliffe's arrival.

Mercedes guru Michael Sansoni could become the latest. Sansoni has been working as a senior performance simulation engineer with the F1 team, and claim that Ratcliffe is eyeing him up with a view to revamping United's data analysis department.

Although not as prominent a position as manager or transfer chief, data analysis has been highlighted by INEOS bosses as a department which needs major surgery. And Sansoni is the man they have singled out to try and perform it.

Talks are said to be 'advanced' over an appointment which insiders reportedly deem a 'move between the family'. Eyebrows will naturally be raised by the fact that Sansoni could take on an influential position despite making his name in a completely different sport.

Ratcliffe revealed his focus on data analysis in an interview with late last year. He said: "Until we're are as good as anyone in the world, then it's not good enough for Manchester United. We must have the best recruitment in the world.

"Data analysis comes alongside recruitment. It doesn't really exist here. We're still in the last century on data analysis here. There's an immense amount of useful data that we can get from data analysis and we're in the 'very poor' bracket with data analysis here. These things don't happen overnight."

A dreadful result on Sunday highlighted the need for United to continue their revamp on and off the pitch. Ruben Amorim's side were blown away by Newcastle at St. James' Park, which could wreck their confidence ahead of a Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon on Thursday.

Amorim is still trying to find a consistent winning recipe, which led him to drop goalkeeper Andre Onana from the matchday squad altogether after his two errors in the first leg earlier this week.