Who takes over Richard Arnold? Manchester United CEO to leave club by January and replacement considered

Manchester United’s chief executive Richard Arnold will leave the club by the end of the year, with an announcement expected on Wednesday.

This news was broken by Mark Kleinman of Sky Sports, with various outlets following the story.

Arnold, 52, took over responsibility for the role at United in February 2022 after Ed Woodward left Old Trafford.

He has since had various important tasks to deal with, including the Mason Greenwood situation. His handling of that case led to major backlash both from within the club and outside.

Now, the report from Sky confirmed that the announcement of his departure will come shortly before Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS confirms their acquisition of a 25 per cent stake in the club.

Ratcliffe will, of course, be looking to bring in his own chief executive for the club, as he is set to have full sporting control as part of his investment.

However, Sky revealed that Patrick Stewart, who is United’s general counsel, will be named interim CEO in addition to his existing role.

Stewart is a member of the board and the club’s most senior lawyer, responsible for managing the club’s legal and regulatory affairs and serves as an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In terms of a longer-term plan, The Athletic have reported that Jean-Claude Blanc, the ex-PSG and Juventus higher-up, is under consideration to replace Arnold on a permanent basis.