Man Utd’s new transfer guru Sir Dave Brailsford spotted next to Sir Alex Ferguson

Jacque Talbot

• 30 Dec 2023 18:31 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester Unied’s new recruitment chief, Sir David Brailsford, was spotted next to Sir Alex Ferguson on Saturday night as Nottingham Forest faced off against the Red Devils.

During a goal-less first half, his presence at the City Ground was caught on cameras, as Man Utd's backroom revamp starts to take shape.

The 59-year-old is the right-hand man of Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who was announced as the new minority shareholder in his boyhood club after parting with £1.25billion for a 25 per cent stake.

It is anticipated that Brailsford, a former cycling coach, will be given a prominent role at the club, in a bid to shake up recruitment.

He was seen next to Ferguson to watch Erik ten Hag’s man face off against Forest in the late kick-off.

Sir Alex Ferguson watching Nottingham Forest take on Manchester United next to INEOS' Sir Dave Brailsford at the City Ground 🏟️🔴 pic.twitter.com/LG9Cubp9mE

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 30, 2023

Who is Sir David Brailsford?

Born in Derbyshire in 1964, Brailsford's journey into the world of sports administration commenced in 1998 when he initially joined British Cycling in a consultative role.

Over time, he ascended to prominent positions within the body. Notably, he is celebrated for championing the 'marginal gains' philosophy, which played a pivotal role in the improvement of British Cycling's medal counts - including the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2010, he took on a pivotal role with Team Sky, later rebranded as Team Ineos, where his team secured victory in six out of seven Tour de France championships from 2012 to 2018.

But Brailsford's career has not been without controversy. In 2018, a report by the Commons Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee raised concerns about Team Sky's use of drugs, including triamcinolone, in aiding Bradley Wiggins in races - though they have consistently denied any involvement in doping, and no charges were ever filed.