Man United's football director John Murtough 'is set to LEAVE the club ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival' - with Red Devils chief 'poised to follow CEO Richard Arnold' out of the club

Manchester United are reportedly set to axe football director John Murtough amid an overhaul to the club's structure, ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's arrival.

Ratcliffe’s £1.3billion investment, for a 25 per cent stake of the club, is expected to be confirmed next week, but could take a further two months to be ratified by the Premier League. 

Despite this, the club have already begun to make notable changes to their hierarchy, as United confirmed on Wednesday that CEO Richard Arnold would gbe stepping down from his role at the club.

Now, according to the Daily Star, Murtough will follow Arnold out of the door at Old Trafford as the club prepare for a new era under the incoming British billionaire. 

Having worked closely with David Moyes at Everton, Murtough joined United in November 2013 on the recommendation of the then-United manager and became the club's first ever football director.

His previous position saw him take on the role of the club's head of football development, where he was tasked with overseeing operations across the club. 

Prior to his work with Moyes, Murtough was the head of elite performance at the Premier League. 

However, as previously reported by Mail Sport, Murtough's position came under scrutiny after Ineos executives privately expressed misgivings about some of United’s recent transfer business. 

Mail Sport also revealed, on Tuesday, that Dougie Freedman and Paul Mitchell are among the early contenders to come in as director of football following Murtough's departure. 

Erik ten Hag’s job is thought to be safe for now unless results deteriorate significantly over the next few weeks.  

Meanwhile, following Arnold's departure, United's top lawyer Patrick Stewart will take over on an interim basis with one of Ratcliffe's key aides, Ineos Sport chief executive Jean-Claude Blanc, viewed as a potential permanent replacement.

The club will conduct a thorough search for a new CEO, although Blanc’s position as a senior Ineos employee counts in his favour, as does his experience as chief executive and chairman of Juventus and another executive role at Paris Saint-Germain.

Ineos’s director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford is also expected to be involved, but may act as an adviser rather than taking a formal role.

Arnold replaced Ed Woodward as chief executive in February 2022. The 52-year-old has been instrumental to United’s strong commercial growth over the last decade, securing a £900million kit deal with adidas and £60m shirt sponsorship with Qualcomm earlier this year, but was widely criticised over the club’s handling of the Mason Greenwood saga which led to the England striker joining Getafe on loan following a United U-turn.

Joel Glazer, United’s executive co-chairman, said: ‘We are fortunate to be able to call on the deep knowledge and experience of Patrick Stewart to provide stability and continuity as we embark on a search for a new permanent CEO.’

Stewart, who shares the name of the famous Star Trek actor, will take on the interim chief executive position in addition to his existing roles as the club's general counsel.

Stewart has been with Man United since 2006, where he has been responsible for managing the Company's legal and regulatory affairs as well as its relationships with football stakeholders.