Richard Arnold will leave as general manager at the end of this calendar year, Manchester United officially announced on Wednesday. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to take over 25 per cent of the shares at Old Trafford and as a result, changes are expected to take place in the management of the Red Devils.
It has been frequently reported in the English media in recent times that the arrival of the wealthy Ratcliffe would have consequences for Arnold’s position at Manchester United. The superpower has now confirmed that the 52-year-old director, associated with the club since 2007, will leave shortly.
Counsel Patrick Stewart will do the honors for the time being, until Manchester United has found a permanent successor for Arnold. Co-owner Joel Glazer expresses his gratitude to the outgoing director on the club website for his work in recent years. Arnold himself calls it an ‘incredible privilege’ that he has been able to work for the club for sixteen years.
Richard Arnold has decided to step down as Chief Executive of Manchester United after 16 years at the club.#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 15, 2023
Succession
According to, among others The Athletic Former Juventus director Jean-Claude Blanc is a leading candidate to permanently succeed the departing Arnold at Manchester United. The experienced Frenchman currently works at Ineos, Ratcliffe’s company.
The impending arrival of Ratcliffe does not seem to have any consequences for Ten Hag for the time being. The management of Manchester United still seems to have confidence in the Dutchman appointed in 2022, despite the difficult start in the Premier League and the group stage of the Champions League.
Arnold
With the departure of Arnold, Ten Hag loses a confidant within the management of Manchester United. The CEO regularly stood up for the often criticized manager, both externally and externally. The pair also had regular discussions about Ten Hag’s technical policy and plans with his team.
TheTelegraph reported in September that Arnold defended Ten Hag against dissatisfied club employees in a Zoom meeting. There had been dissatisfaction with the way the manager dealt with the widely publicized private issues surrounding Jadon Sancho and Antony. Arnold then announced that Ten Hag had acted with the utmost care.