Man Utd job roles 'haven't changed' yet for Murtough and Arnold | OneFootball

Highlights

Manchester United are edging closer to welcoming Sir Jim Ratcliffe as a minority stakeholder and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed what that means for some of the club’s hierarchy, while speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

The future ownership status of the 13-time Premier League champions has been up in the air since November 2022 after the Glazer family announced they would begin to ‘explore strategic alternatives’ as their ill-fated 18-year reign over the club looked to potentially be coming to a welcomed end.

Both Ratcliffe and Qatar-backed Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani emerged as the two leading candidates, though the latter withdrew from the process after deeming the Glazers’ valuation of the Red Devils as too steep.

Richard Arnold and John Murtough job uncertainty

Ratcliffe has his sights set on acquiring a 25 percent stake in the club for £1.3bn as him and his company, INEOS, are poised to run the football operations aspect of the club after vying with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani for the best part of 12 months.

As such, with a new Old Trafford era on the horizon, there are plenty of doubts surrounding job security at the club right now, not least Erik ten Hag’s role as manager, though any decision to dump the former Ajax custodian could be put on the back burner, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth told GIVEMESPORT.

To add to the fear in the Old Trafford camp, INEOS are beginning to ‘draw up names’ as they look to give the club a well-needed face lift after years of calamitous behind-the-scenes decisions, journalist Ben Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT last week.

The job John Murtough, who became the club’s Director of Football in March 2021 during Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s tenure, is reportedly at risk as former Tottenham Hotspur head of recruitment Paul Mitchell is top of Ratcliffe’s wishlist, while journalist Ben Jacobs previously told GIVEMESPORT that he would ‘love’ the opportunity to replace Murtough.

Richard Arnold, Manchester United’s chief executive, is also thought to potentially be on Ratcliffe’s chopping board amid Ratcliffe’s arrival, per Manchester Evening News, despite only assuming the post in February 2022 after Ed Woodward’s long-awaited exit. Now, Romano has provided GIVEMESPORT with the latest update on their futures as Ratcliffe edges closer and closer to becoming a minority stakeholder of one of England’s biggest and most successful football clubs.

Fabrizio Romano update – Murtough and Arnold

Romano suggested that, as things stand, both the jobs of Murtough and Arnold are safe and secure amid over-riding uncertainty. The transfer guru did not rule out mass changes in key personnel in the future but insisted that neither Murtough nor Arnold have had anything communicated to them thus far, claiming that they will continue to carry out their daily tasks until told otherwise. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:

Man Utd eye £52m Raphael Varane replacement

Much has been made of Ten Hag’s treatment of four-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane, two years on from his £41m arrival, seeing as the French defender has been benched for five games on the bounce. Frozen out by the Dutch tactician, it is believed that Saudi Arabian clubs are willing to offer the former Real Madrid ace lucrative amount of money to join their Middle Eastern revolution, per Football Insider, with a host of sides expected to provide their riches in return for his service.

Reports have even suggested that Varane himself has expressed a desire to seek pastures new, while Ten Hag and his higher-ups would consider an offer if the right offer arrived in their inbox. The France icon, who pockets £340,000-per-week at Old Trafford, is tied down until the summer of 2025; and, as such, the club could use the January window as the opportune time to cash in.

Varane’s replacement, however, has already been earmarked with the Red Devils keen to make a new centre-back the priority for 2024. Reports have suggested that Manchester United have one eye on Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio as his worthy, long-term successor. To boost their pursual of the sought-after youngster, who has a £52.5m exit clause in his current deal, Ratcliffe already has a set-in-stone plan to acquire the 22-year-old, which includes a structured deal with incentives.