Man Utd: Jean-Claude Blanc to Replace Richard Arnold as CEO

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the potential minority stakeholder at Manchester United, is expected to appoint Jean-Claude Blanc as the replacement for current chief executive Richard Arnold once the deal is finalized. The Ineos Group, headed by Ratcliffe, will reportedly purchase a 25% stake in United for approximately £1.25bn.

Blanc, a former executive of Juventus and Paris St-Germain (PSG), has been referred to as “the Lionel Messi” of sports business due to his expertise in this field. He joined Ineos group in 2022 as chief executive of Ineos Sport after spending over a decade with PSG.

If the deal goes through successfully, Ratcliffe is likely to have control over the sporting side of Manchester United. While specific details are yet unknown regarding how this arrangement will work internally within the club staff members hope that new ownership will bring an improved strategy for Erik ten Hag’s first-team squad.

Blanc’s strengths lie in managing the business aspects of football clubs and it is anticipated that Sir Dave Brailsford, performance director at Ineos Group and renowned figure from cycling’s Team Sky success story, would also play a key role on Manchester United’s sporting side but not necessarily take up position as football director. Additionally, Dougie Freedman from Crystal Palace could be considered as a possible candidate for this role.

Prior to his involvement in football, Blanc had served as chief executive of the French Tennis Federation. He played a crucial part in turning around Juventus after their relegation to Serie B following the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal in 2006. During his time at PSG, which began in 2011, the club enjoyed tremendous success including eight French Ligue 1 titles out of the total 28 trophies won at Parc des Princes.