Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold is set to leave the club after a 16-year stint as a Red Devil
Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold is set to depart after 16 years with the club. In the meantime, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal for a 25% stake in the Red Devils approaches completion.
In August 2007, Arnold joined United as a commercial director, and he rose to become the managing director in 2013. The British accountant assumed control of the United’s business operation under then-CEO Ed Woodward. The 52-year-old replaced Woodward as the club’s CEO in February 2022.
Arnold made a crucial decision after taking over as CEO by allowing others to solely focus on footballing agendas. The 52-year-old delegated the search for a permanent manager to John Murtough after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Furthermore, Arnold backed current manager Erik ten Hag in situations such as his public spat with United icon Cristiano Ronaldo. The 52-year-old lobbied for the Glazers to back Ten Hag in the transfer market earlier this season after the struggling start.
The Communications Department released a statement of transition at Manchester United’s official site where Arnold said:
“It has been an incredible privilege to serve this great football club for the past 16 years. Through highs and lows, the constant has been the dedication of our employees and fans. I would like to thank all of them for their loyalty and commitment, and wish everyone associated with the club the very best for the future.”
The 52-year-old played a pivotal role in overseeing the signing of many lucrative sponsorships for the Red Devils. One of the deals includes a $1.3 billion sports equipment deal with Adidas for over 10 years in 2015. It was the most valuable deal in sporting history at the time.
As of now, there is no expected announcement about Ratcliffe’s potential deal, but fans anticipate further developments during the November international break.
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Patrick Stewart will take over as interim CEO, and Arnold will provide transitional support until the end of December.
The Old Trafford loyalists want a swift resolution for the ongoing behind-the-scenes transitions. The team’s focus must return to football as United has suffered nine defeats in 18 matches across all competitions this season.
