One of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s priorities once his £1.3billion deal for a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United is ratified looks to be appointing a new sporting director. It will likely spell the end of John Murtough’s status as a prominent recruitment figure and his unlikely rise to power at Old Trafford.
In March 2021, then-United chief executive Ed Woodward announced Murtough as the club’s first football director, ending a three-year-long search involving renowned specialists with the easy, internal option.
It was a surprising and sudden appointment that raised eyebrows among the fanbase and experienced figures in the industry.
Reports since have claimed there was disbelief over how an individual of Murtough’s expertise came about such a job.
According to The Athletic, Murtough’s appointment was an impulse decision to block Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami from poaching his services.
Mike Forde, whom David Beckham used as a consultant via his Sportsology company, recommended his long-term friend from Liverpool John Moores University.
The report claims Murtough informed Woodward of his plans to depart for the United States, adding that he would only remain at United if he was the chosen candidate for the football director position.
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