Highly-rated football director Julian Ward reportedly will not be joining Manchester United as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s hierarchy shake-up. The former Liverpool chief has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford to start a new role under the INEOS banner. However, United are said to have been left disappointed.
The timescale of Ratcliffe’s overhaul remains to be seen, but the wheels are in motion for multiple high-profile hires within a new-look football structure.
Omar Berrada will leave Manchester City to start as United’s new chief executive in time for the summer, and he is set to play a crucial role immediately.
Berrada’s role could expand across different titles in his first transfer window as the Red Devils face a longer wait to land a sporting director, technical director and performance director.
Dan Ashworth has emerged as Ratcliffe’s choice to become sporting director but is currently trapped in a period of gardening leave at Newcastle United.
According to The Athletic, Ashworth may have to serve several months of gardening leave because United don’t intend to meet Newcastle’s hefty £20million compensation demand.
United are claimed to be willing to bide their time until the Tyneside outfit soften their stance. They are effectively paying Ashworth his full salary to wait until he completes his move.
The report adds that Southampton chief Jason Wilcox will likely be far more attainable. He is being targeted for the technical director position, which would involve working in unison with Berrada and Ashworth.
Candidates for the performance director role at Old Trafford are currently unclear, but Ward has been strongly linked to return to club football in Manchester.
However, while the ex-Liverpool sporting director would be available to start immediately, indications reportedly suggest that he won’t be a part of Ratcliffe’s rebuild.
United are unlikely to have their complete new-look team helming football operations in place for the summer transfer window.
But the capture of Berrada is a significant boost, providing a leading figure to help direct the club out of the decade-long post-Sir Alex Ferguson rut.
Current football director John Murtough has been spotted moving around Spain for negotiations with La Liga heavyweights, including Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
It could be an indicator that he will continue in his role until Ashworth is released from his shackles at St James’ Park, with the added support of Berrada and potentially Wilcox.
Ward could be eyeing a return to Liverpool, given that transfer guru Michael Edwards is back in power at Anfield and has the daunting task of steadying the ship after Jurgen Klopp’s departure.
