Richard Arnold is set to leave his position as CEO of Manchester United and be replaced by the club’s general counsel, Patrick Stewart, in December, as confirmed by The Athletic.
An official announcement from United is expected later today (Wednesday).
It comes amid Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s imminent 25 per cent buy-in in M16, which will see him take immediate control of sporting matters – and it seems as though he’s starting from the top.
Arnold’s position became untenable
Arnold succeeded Ed Woodward in February 2022 and it’s believed that it’s his poor handling of the Mason Greenwood saga has led to his exit; he oversaw United’s internal investigation into the forward after he had charges of attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour dropped last year, following key witnesses withdrawing their participation from the case and new material coming to light.
The CEO reportedly had made plans to integrate Greenwood back into the United squad for the 2023/2024 campaign and had informed the player, members of staff and the squad. However, following intense social media backlash, he was forced to perform a U-turn, with the 22-year-old now playing his football in La Liga on loan to Getafe.
