Manchester United close to appointing Ed Woodward replacement
By Max Cooper
Manchester United have decided to hire group managing director Richard Arnold as their new chief executive, bringing an end to their search for Ed Woodward's replacement.
Woodward announced in April 2021 that he would be leaving the Red Devils at the end of the year, after the club's failed attempt to form the breakaway European Super League led to major fan protests and calls for change at the top of the club.
The club have been deliberating over the chief executive's successor for the past four months, and they have finally found Woodward's replacement.
According to Sky Sports, Man Utd's group managing director Arnold will take over from the unpopular Woodward, and the decision could be officially confirmed as early as next month.
Arnold has fended off competition from two other candidates, both of whom currently work as executives at the club. His announcement - and Woodward's subsequent departure - will continue the feel-good factor buzzing around the club, after the Red Devils turned a corner off the back of a difficult 2020/21 season off the pitch.
Friction between the supporters, the owners and the club's hierarchy reached new heights in April, after the Glazers, along with Woodward, masterminded Man Utd's entry into the heavily criticised European Super League.
This shock decision stunned the Red Devils fan base into action, as they staged mass protests against the running of the club, leading to Woodward's resignation. Supporters even caused a Premier League game against Liverpool to be postponed, preventing the team bus from reaching the stadium, and storming the pitch prior to kick-off.
Those protests forced the Glazers to reassess their running of the club, and they later announced a new scheme that would introduce a fan-ownership element into the decision-making at the top. They then spent big in the summer, signing Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, before bringing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club.
Confirmation of Woodward's impending exit will only add to the feeling of positivity around the club at the moment.