Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to build new 'sporting department' at Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning to build a new football operations department at Manchester United once his purchase of a 25% stake in the club is confirmed, understands.
An official announcement of Ratcliffe's acquisition could be made this week, with Wednesday 22 November marking a year to the day since current owners the Glazer family announced they were looking to «explore strategic alternatives» for the club.
The chosen path is set to come in the form of Ratcliffe's purchase of stake, with £245m worth in investment into United's infrastructure set to follow. Ratcliffe is also set to gain control of sporting operations as part of his purchase and the club have already officially communicated that chief executive Richard Arnold is to leave his role.
Confirmation of Arnold's departure came last Wednesday, with Patrick Stewart stepping in to replace Arnold on an interim basis, in addition to his existing role as general counsel. Arnold himself had only been in the position since February 2022 following the departure of Ed Woodward and has endured a challenging time in the position as the club have had a multitude of off-field situations to manage.
A new CEO will be appointed in time and understands Jean-Claude Blanc, formerly of Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, is likely to be confirmed in the role on a full-time basis as part of Ratcliffe's plans.
Blanc is credited with turning Juventus' fortunes around following the 2006 Calciopoli scandal and subsequent relegation, bringing them back to the top of Serie A and playing a pivotal role in their plan to move to a new stadium.
The 60-year-old also spent 11 years in Paris, a time in which the French champions won 28 trophies. Blanc helped transform PSG from a team adrift from
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