Former Tottenham head of recruitment Paul Mitchell is at the top of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s list to be made sporting director at Manchester United.
In turn, that puts John Murtough’s job as director of football at serious risk.
While some employees at the club will defend Murtough’s job to date, there has been whispers that Erik ten Hag’s preferred agency SEG have a greater influence on managing the club’s recruitment. That alone raises questions about what Murtough actually contributes to the player recruitment side of things.
It is believed that Ratcliffe expressed his concerns about Manchester United when he visited Old Trafford earlier this year as party of his approach to buy a stake in the club.
Now, with Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani out of the race, British billionaire is understood to be proposing a £1.3 billion deal for 25% of United.
It’s also understood that Ratcliffe is pushing for sporting control over the club, even though he will be a minority shareholder. Fans will hope that he eventually buys the Glazer family out of the club – to remove any control they would retain from such a deal.
That likely means bad news for not only Murtough, but new chief executive Richard Arnold, who replaced Ed Woodward early last year.
According to i, Paul Mitchell is a frontrunner to become sporting director at United given his previous track record. The same report states Mitchell lived close to Ratcliffe before he left Monaco and “operated in the same circles”.
Since leaving his role as sporting director Monaco in March, Mitchell has returned to live in Manchester.
Mitchell has previously worked at Southampton, Tottenham and RB Leipzig.
Furthermore, Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth and former Liverpool chief Michael Edwards are mentioned as potential candidates to join forces with Ratcliffe at United.
Arnold, for one, didn’t leave the best impression on Ratcliffe’s entourage at those meetings mentioned above. As a result he looks like the first that will be pushed out the door if the Ineos founder proves successful at getting his foot in the door at Old Trafford.
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