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Manchester United have announced that Omar Berrada, a former Manchester City figure, has become their new chief executive in an official club statement as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to iron out their behind-the-scenes frailties. The 13-time Premier League champions have been scouring the market for a worthy successor for former CEO Richard Arnold, who left after 16 years of service ahead of INEOS owner - and life-long Red Devils fan - Ratcliffe’s arrival.

Ratcliffe, whose announced 25% stake into the club is yet to be ratified by the Premier League, is working tirelessly to make wholesale changes to Manchester United’s sporting department. But in terms of a new CEO, Ratcliffe – alongside his INEOS entourage – have opted for a member of their arch-rivals’ behind-the-scenes team in Berrada.

Hailed as one of the key parts of City’s period of English dominance, Berrada was initially identified as an optimal replacement by the INEOS team, though the Glazers gave the go-ahead to secure his reliable services, too. In their club announcement, they revealed that his start date is to be confirmed - but fans are beginning to get excited as it’s the first major change of their Ratcliffe era. But who exactly is Berrada and why were INEOS so keen to see him join the revolution?

A deep dive into Berrada’s career so far

He started off his career at Barcelona

Berrada’s first taste of the football landscape came for Spanish giants Barcelona in 2004 as he was appointed Head of Sponsorship and, therefore, oversaw the department during his eight-year stint in Catalan.

His work for Blaugrana seemed to impress those at Manchester City and he then joined the Premier League outfit in 2011 as head of their international business development. He enjoyed roles as director of partnership sales and group commercial director before he became chief operating officer in September 2016, six months after Pep Guardiola's arrival - and five years after his.

After showing success solely for the Sky Blues, Berrada earned a promotion to oversee the football operations for the entire City Football Group - a collective which own City and a litany of other clubs across the globe, including high-flying Girona, New York City, Melbourne City, Yokohama F Marinos and Mumbai City.

A key part of his role at the Etihad Stadium is working closely with City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, on areas including - but not limited to - transfers and contracts. As such, he has been a vital cog in City's success in the transfer market in recent times - most notably, the capture of their ruthless goal machine: Erling Haaland.

Of course, the Old Trafford outfit were admirers of the striker, first earmarked by former chief Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, though it was Guardiola and Co. who eventually won the race for his sought-after signature. Learning that Berrada was one of the key components behind the high-profile signing of the talismanic Norwegian will be enough for fans of the Premier League giant to get on board.

The Athletic's Sam Lee reacted with surprise to the news on X, writing: "This is a pretty big loss for City (and a huge huge shock of course). I think everybody assumed he’d replaced Txiki one day."

Berrada’s role at Manchester United

He'll sit on the club's board of directors

Manchester United, amid their long-standing search, were seeking a candidate with a proven track record in the sport, though they continued to place heavy importance on recruiting a new CEO who was capable of running the business side of the football club. Berrada brings that in abundance, having excelled in those areas at City, while showing glimpses of his brilliance in Spain previously.

In terms of his position on the red side of Manchester, Berrada will occupy a leadership role, administering proceedings at the club, on both the football and business side, while he will also sit on the club's board of directors. What the future holds for Manchester United and their hodgepodge recruitment strategy, which Berrada will no doubt be a huge part of, remains unknown as things stand, but sealing a figure that is held in such high regard among football circles is a step in the right direction.