“Official: MU parts ways with a key figure of the club”

John Murtough has resigned as the football director of Manchester United after Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the club.

Murtough has ended his tenure at Old Trafford after 10 tumultuous years with the Red Devils. The departure of the football director has long been anticipated, with Ratcliffe expected to make changes upon his arrival at the club.

Manchester United hope to replace Murtough with Dan Ashworth, who recently left his position at Newcastle United. The Red Devils are also eyeing the appointment of Jason Wilcox from Southampton as the new technical director of the club, while Omar Berrada will start as the executive director in the summer after being lured away from Manchester City.

A summer of change awaits as Ratcliffe aims to bring glory back to Man United and return the club to championship contention.

Murtough has frequently come under criticism for his work at Old Trafford, overseeing a transfer policy that has not yielded results. The 53-year-old former CEO also played a significant role in bringing Erik ten Hag to the Theatre of Dreams, but the position of the manager seems uncertain after a challenging season, with the team currently slipping to sixth place in the Premier League standings.

Ratcliffe stated in a club statement: “We want to thank John Murtough for his years of loyal service, as well as his support and integrity during this transitional period. He leaves with our best wishes for our future.”

Joel Glazer, co-chairman of Manchester United, added: “After 11 years of tireless work for the club, John has agreed with us that now is the right time to step aside and allow the new football leadership structure to be implemented. He will always be welcomed back to Manchester United as a friend of the team.”

There may be increased scrutiny on Ten Hag in the final weeks of the season as Man United sets sights on a high finish.

The Red Devils face a tough battle to secure Champions League qualification for the next season but have reached the FA Cup semifinals and have a match at Wembley against Coventry City.