Manchester United land Juventus chief scout Javier Ribalta – boosting their hopes of signing Alvaro Morata
Ribalta quits Turin for Old Trafford as United snap up man credited for helping turn Juve into European force
MANCHESTER UNITED have snatched Juventus chief scout Javier Ribalta - the man credited for turning the club into the dominant force of Italian football.
Ribalta has quit Juve after five years at Turin and will head up the scouting operation at Old Trafford.
He is credited as the man who helped advise the Serie A club to sign Paul Pogba, Dani Alves, Sami Khadira and Kingsley Coman.
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His time at the club has seen Juventus establish themselves as the best team in Italy, winning six successive league titles and reaching last year's Champions League final.
Ribalta also played a key role in Juve signing Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid, and United believe he can have a big influence in helping to land the striker this summer.
He put his job on the line to insist Juve spalshed out £18million on Morata, who at the time was struggling to make any impact in Madrid.
The pair have maintained a close relationship ever since, and a year after he signed Morata's father admitted in an interview: "Javi has been Alvaro's main supporter here in Turin.
"His close treatment was key and that made us feel comfortable. He knows football and he is always watching out for us - he is a phenomenon."
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United now hope that relationship will help them finally push through their summer-long chase for the Real Madrid star.
Real have been holding out for their £70m asking price in the knowledge United have made him their number one target for the close season.
But United believe they can reach an agreement for around £63m as Jose Mourinho looks to add a cutting edge lacking in his side for periods last year.
Ribalta will work in a senior level reporting into Mourinho and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at Old Trafford.
Mourinho has overhauled the scouting structure he inherited when he took over at the club a year ago, with former Liverpool man Mark Anderson the first to arrive.
He then raided Legia Warsaw to bring in Radoslaw Kucharski with the job of finding talent in central and eastern Europe.
And in April the club advertised for two more youth scouts as they looked to make up ground on some of their rivals in spotting young talent.