Manchester United are close to making an official approach to Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman and the former Scotland striker has been selected by Ineos to take up the role of head of recruitment.
It is understood that Freedman, who had a successful spell as Palace manager before returning as sporting director in 2017, was identified as the ideal candidate to work within the structure being put in place by Sir Jim Ratcliffe at United. The 49-year-old has earned praise for his ability to spot emerging talent in the Championship and beyond, having been instrumental in Palace signing Marc Guéhi, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, among others.
He is believed to be open to a move to United despite his strong relationship with Palace chairman Steve Parish. Freedman's family are understood to still live in the Manchester area. It is unclear whether Palace will demand compensation for their former player.
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United are understood to be interested in making a quick appointment given that their chief executive, Omar Berradaand future technical director, Daniel Ashworth, are on leave to work in the garden. United have privately denied interest in Freedman, but an official approach is expected in the coming days.
Freedman, who is also believed to have worked closely with Palace's largest shareholder John Textor in establishing Textor's Eagle Football network which includes French club Lyon, was heavily involved in the appointment of Oliver Glasner to replace Roy Hodgson last month and would be a significant loss for Parish. The Palace chairman denied reports in November that United had contacted him because of Freedman but said: “The fact that he's linked with clubs like that shows he's doing the right thing.”
Freedman, who had two successful spells at Palace as a player and scored the last-minute goal that prevented them from relegation to League One in 2001, took over as caretaker manager to again save the club from relegation in 2011. But he left Selhurst Park permanently. controversy by then first division Bolton, a year later, with Palace in the fight for promotion, a decision he has always regretted.
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“I knew I had made the wrong decision very quickly in my career at Bolton, but it was a decision I made and unfortunately it was the wrong decision,” he said. “Looking back, of course I wouldn't have gone, I would have stayed here and we would have had a promotion (together) and it's probably one of the things that motivates me now. To make up for that disappointing decision I made.”
