Man Utd confirm Ed Woodward departure date and announce replacement plans

Manchester United have confirmed Ed Woodward is leaving the club on February 1 and will be replaced by current managing director Richard Arnold.

Executive vice-chairman Woodward has been a divisive figure since succeeding David Gill in 2013, with many United fans holding him and owners the Glazers responsible for the club's slide since then.

Despite Woodward overseeing a spend in excess of £1billion on players in his time in charge at Old Trafford, United have failed to mount any kind of title challenge.

United's last title came in 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down, since when the club's best finish has been second, under former bosses Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Woodward has been accused of being a Glazer stooge, of putting the interests of United's reviled American owners above those of the club, resulting in its subsequent demise.

The 50-year-old tendered his resignation in April 2021, in the wake of the failed European Super League project, because he felt he could not support the proposal backed by the Glazers.

A group of protestors attacked Woodward's home in the wake of the super league controversy, causing damage to a gate, although no-one was inside the property at the time.

Woodward was persuaded to stay on, despite having announced his decision to go, and will now be succeeded by Arnold, who has been United's managing director since 2013.

Arnold will hold the title of Chief Executive and he is understood to want to operate differently to Woodward, who was very much 'hands-on' with regard to the football side of United.

At United, Arnold's remit has been the commercial side, the 50-year-old responsible for the £253 million shirt sponsorship deal signed with TeamViewer.

Arnold is said to be keen to continue to focus on the business side of United, giving greater control of the football side to Football Director John Murtough, Technical Director Darren Fletcher and interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who will begin a two-year consultancy role when his spell in charge finishes at the end of this season.

Within United, Arnold is seen as a consensus-builder, rather than an autocrat, and was a major driver in establishing the Football Director and Technical Director appointments last year, as well as offering interim boss Rangnick a consultancy role.

Under the new structure in place, football decisions will be led by Murtough, with help from Fletcher, working closely alongside Rangnick and a permanent boss, who will take charge for next season, with Mauricio Pochettino the favourite.

Richard Arnold said: "I am honoured to have the chance to serve this great club and its fans. I am determined to return that honour in any way I can."

Joel Glazer, Executive Co-Chairman, said: "I would like to thank Ed for his tireless work on behalf of Manchester United during his nine years as Executive Vice-Chairman and 16 years with the club.

"We are now looking forward to Richard and his leadership team opening a new phase in the club's evolution, with ambitious plans for investment in Old Trafford, the strengthening of our engagement with fans, and continued drive towards our most important objective - winning on the pitch."