Man Utd close to appointing Richard Arnold as new CEO

Manchester United are set to announce Richard Arnold as the club's new CEO in the coming days.

Arnold is currently United's managing director and his elevation to the top position comes as little surprise. He has previously spent time as the Red Devils' commercial director and has been the frontrunner to takeover from current executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward for some time.

Woodward announced he would depart Old Trafford in the New Year in the wake of the failed European Super League project in the spring. However, it is understood that he will stay on at the club as a consultant for the time being.

As reported by Sky News, although Arnold is Woodward's de-facto replacement in the hot seat, he will have a different job title. He is set to be appointed as CEO, the first time the position has been filled since David Gill left the post in 2013.

It is understood that Arnold's appointment will coincide with several changes of approach at boardroom level, although a major restructuring is not expected to take place.

One of the new CEO's biggest tasks will be selecting a permanent manager in the summer. Ralf Rangnick is currently in temporary charge until the end of the season before he moves into an advisory role for two further campaigns.

Before they settled on Rangnick as a short-term solution, 90min revealed that the club's top two targets were Leicester City's Brendan Rodgers and Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino.

Both men were understood to be ready to take the job permanently when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked last month, but in the end they were overlooked for Rangnick.

The pair will likely be high on United's wishlist in the summer, though a lot can happen between now and then.

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