Richard Arnold, the chief executive of Manchester United, is reportedly leaving the club. The news comes as Ineos Group, owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, prepares to purchase a 25% stake in the Premier League club. The purchase is expected to be ratified during November’s international break and is set to cost around £1.25bn. Arnold has been at United for 16 years in various roles and was appointed as the club’s most senior executive, replacing Ed Woodward, in February 2022.
Although his departure has not yet been officially confirmed, United’s general counsel, Patrick Stewart, will take over as chief executive on an interim basis while the club decides on a permanent replacement. There will be a six to eight week gap between the announcement of the Ratcliffe deal and its confirmation by the Premier League, during which time Ratcliffe will be unable to contribute to club operations.
Arnold oversaw the club’s significant sponsorship agreements with Adidas and Qualcomm and was also involved in the appointment of current United manager Erik ten Hag. However, he was criticised for his handling of the situation surrounding forward Mason Greenwood, first hinting that the player would be reintegrated with the first-team before deciding that he had to leave Old Trafford.
United have experienced a difficult start to the 2023-24 season, losing nine of their first 18 games in all competitions, and fans have continued to protest against the Glazer family’s ownership of the club. In May 2021, a protest caused a home league match against Liverpool to be postponed
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More