Richard Arnold is reportedly expected to leave his role as Manchester United’s Chief Executive Officer if Sir Jim Ratcliffe lands a minority stake.
The chairman of the INEOS group is set to buy a 25 percent stake in United for £1.3 billion after Sheikh Jassim pulled out of the takeover race.
But if the British billionaire finalises his ownership stake, Arnold will probably leave, per The Athletic.
Former Juventus CEO Jean-Claude Blanc, who currently oversees the entire INEOS Sport portfolio, is under consideration for the role.
Ratcliffe wants sporting control for his proposed investment and plans to shake up the club structure.
However, it is not clear at this point the exact timeline of Arnold’s departure.
Given the complexities involved, Ratcliffe’s bid for a minority stake could take several weeks and the 52-year-old will continue in his role in that period.
Arnold has been at United since joining the club as group commercial director in 2007.
The British accountant replaced Ed Woodward as United’s CEO in February.
Arnold has played an instrumental role in growing United’s global appeal. He has overseen the signing of several lucrative sponsorship contracts, including deals with Chevrolet and adidas.
However, he received plenty of criticism over the club’s handling of the Mason Greenwood case.
After the charges were dropped against the player, Arnold told the executive leadership in August they were planning to re-integrate Greenwood with the first team (The Athletic).
But following a massive backlash from supporters, charities and MPs, the Red Devils announced they would not reinstate the 22-year-old.
