Sir Jim Ratcliffe 'agrees' to major Manchester United squad exits as striker compared to club legend

Manchester United are busy preparing for their return to Premier League action.

United face Fulham on Saturday as they look to climb the league table and close the gap on the top four spots. Erik ten Hag's team are five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa going into the weekend's fixtures.

Off the pitch, United have been very busy in recent days as Sir Jim Ratcliffe begins to make an impact at the club. The club are keen to appoint Dan Ashworth in an inaugural sporting director role, a position he currently holds at Newcastle United.

Newcastle announced that Ashworth had been placed on gardening leave after he expressed a desire to make the switch to Old Trafford. It will now be down to an agreement being reached between United and Newcastle before Ashworth can begin his new role with the Reds.

READ MORE: Two senior Manchester United figures could leave as part of planned structural changes

READ MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Manchester United three-year plan and why Erik ten Hag will have to play new style

MEN Sport has taken a look at some of the latest United talking points doing the rounds over the last 24 hours.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly agreed to allow as many as 11 players to leave United permanently this summer.

Ratcliffe has been officially confirmed as a co-owner of United following Ineos Group's 25 per cent takeover of the club. Work has already begun behind the scenes at Old Trafford after Ratcliffe and Ineos took control of football operations at the club.

The summer transfer window will be interesting to see what changes could be made following Ratcliffe and Ineos' investment. According to ESPN, up to 11 first-team players could be allowed the leave the club this summer on permanent deals.

Raphae