Two important executives to leave Manchester United

Manchester United has confirmed the end-of-season exits of its chief executive and chief financial officer. CEO Patrick Stewart and CFO Cliff Baty will be leaving Old Trafford in the upcoming weeks, United announced in an official statement on Tuesday night.

INEOS will be deeper involved in the day-to-day operations of the club with their replacements. The CEO of INEOS’ sports division, Jean-Claude Blanc, will assume the role of acting CEO until Omar Berrada, a permanent hire, starts work in July. Roger Bell, the former CFO of INEOS, will take Baty’s place in the meantime.

Ratcliffe’s influence at Old Trafford is growing as he places more of his own appointments in pivotal roles. One of his first was Berrada, who was stolen from Manchester City. While negotiations are ongoing to bring Dan Ashworth on board as sporting director, the team has recently appointed Jason Wilcox as technical director.

Both Blanc and Sir Dave Brailsford are seasoned, reliable assistants who have recently carried out a thorough examination of the athletic procedures. Stewart has been acting as the company’s acting CEO following Richard Arnold’s 2023 departure.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe said: “I would like to personally thank both Patrick and Cliff for their support in helping us get to know the club and making us feel welcome and I respect their decisions to now move on as we establish a new management team for the club.”

Ahead of the upcoming season, the team must navigate a critical few months this summer as the numerous new faces either begin work or adjust to their new surroundings and expectations. Much of it will go place in the background, but despite the budgetary constraints that have been widely acknowledged, supporters should expect to see significant movement on the transfer market.