Richard Arnold’s Manchester United exit highlights smart Arsenal and Stan Kroenke decision
Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold will leave his post as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to finalise his purchase of a 25 per cent stake in the Red Devils. Arnold, who had been at United for 16 years, replaced Ed Woodward as CEO just last year.
But a period of uncertainty at Old Trafford will now see the 52-year-old head out the exit door with Erik ten Hag's side currently sitting sixth in the Premier League table, seven points behind league-leaders Manchester City. The announcement highlights just how difficult it is to have a successful transfer chief in the modern game, with transfer fees constantly inflating.
It illustrates even more than ever that Arsenal were definitely right to keep hold of Sporting Director Edu, even when some fans were calling for him to be replaced. Certain sections of the fanbase were left disillusioned with Edu and Mikel Arteta’s project in north London just a couple of years ago.
After the Gunners lost their first three Premier League matches of the 2021/22 campaign, there were already some people calling for change at the Emirates Stadium. Fast forward 26 months and almost every fan would tell you that the club made the right decision in choosing to trust the two men.
The Brazilian transfer guru has helped build a young core that are now strong enough to compete for Premier League titles. The likes of Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Jesus have all arrived in north London, bringing a rare blend of versatility, experience and match-winning quality.
Contract renewals have also been incredibly efficient. Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have all penned new long-term deals at
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