Arnold enforces ‘no d*ckheads’ policy at Man Utd and calms Ten Hag ‘tensions’ over Liverpool signing

Football365

·1 February 2023

Arnold enforces ‘no d*ckheads’ policy at Man Utd and calms Ten Hag ‘tensions’ over Liverpool signing

Man Utd chief executive Richard Arnold has created a ‘no d*ckheads’ policy when selecting new signings, according to a report.

The new Red Devils CEO replaced the controversial Ed Woodward last February with his first major job sealing a deal for Erik ten Hag to become their new manager at the end of last season.

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Murtough has been taking a hands-off approach to transfers since changing his role at Old Trafford with the CEO leaving recruitment ultimately up to director of football John Murtough and first-team manager Ten Hag.

His main input over the last two windows has been to plead with the pair that the club doesn’t sign any “d*ckheads” who cause unrest amongst the squad.

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‘Tired of seeing the club at the mercy of troublemakers and problem players, Arnold had only one edict on transfers to Murtough and Ten Hag as part of their moves to reshape the dressing room: “No d—heads,” he would tell them. ‘He was central to convincing the Glazers to allow United to spend around £75m more than they had budgeted for last summer but he is also a man of principle. ‘Extra money was coughed up on the understanding that there would be little if anything to spend this month and it is Arnold who was the one reminding Ten Hag of that when the manager was privately angling for more funds to sign the Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, who ended up joining Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven for £44m. “He’s pretty good at managing those tensions,” a source said.’

The signing of Casemiro in an expensive deal from Real Madrid in the summer has helped transform the midfield at Man Utd, along with Christian Eriksen.

There were doubts from some fans and pundits about Man Utd spending such a large sum of money on a 30-year-old – but the signing of the Brazilian was an example of how Arnold now lets the recruitment team get on with their job.

‘The United chief executive was not there to interfere. “Richard never inputted on football decisions like that but wanted to make sure he understood why they were being made,” one source with knowledge of the process said.

The Daily Telegraph added:

‘Or, in this specific case, why United were ready to commit £60 million to sign a 30-year-old midfielder from Real Madrid, not least as he was the one who would be going to the Glazer family to request the club’s owners significantly loosen the purse strings. ‘”Richard exerted just the right level of accountability, which is a CEO’s job,” another source said. “What he didn’t sit there asking is, ‘Has the player got an engine, can he knit defence and attack?’”