The Manchester United takeover saga looks to be reaching a conclusion for the foreseeable future with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for a 25% stake in the club close to being accepted by the Glazers.
Much to fans dismay, the much-maligned Glazer family are set to stay in situ at Old Trafford but the new investment will be welcomed.
Sir Jim reportedly has plans to revamp the sporting structure at United which could mean some further new faces making decisions at the club.
As reported by The Mirror, Chief executive Richard Arnold is one of those tipped to leave his role with Ratcliffe’s trusted ally Jean-Claude Blanc ready to step in.
Blanc would join the ranks at United with strong pedigree in his arena, having worked with European giants Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain previously.
The Frenchman worked as chairman of the board at Juve and as well as having a spell as CEO in Turin. He was also part of the team that oversaw the move to the club’s current home of the Allianz Stadium.
Having achieved fine work in Italy, PSG offered Blanc the chance to return to his homeland where he worked up until late last year when Ratcliffe came knocking.
Blanc left Paris to oversee the sports portfolio of Ratcliffe’s INEOS group which includes football clubs Nice and Lausanne-Sport. He also has involvement with other sports in the group such as Cycling and Formula 1.
The 60-year-old also boasts previous roles in the Olympic Games, French Open tennis and the Tour de France, so would bring a wealth of experience to the role at United.
Blanc is said to be more focussed on the branding and marketing side of the business but his pedigree in his field is beyond doubt.
Since working at INEOS Blanc has won many admirers, with one unnamed team member heaping praise on the Frenchman’s qualities.
“He is brilliant. He is a super pro who is excellent in building relationships. His arrival is fantastic for us.” the INEOS team member told L’Equipe (via the Mirror).
The introduction of Blanc is set to be one of many planned by Ratcliffe who will be desperate to change the fortunes of the team he’s supported all his life.
United are yet to officially confirm Sir Jim’s stake in the club but an announcement is expected in the coming weeks after his only real competitor, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani, pulled out of race to buy the club outright.