Manchester United

Jean-Claude Blanc, Sir Dave Brailsford 'to arrive at Manchester United next month'

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 27 December 2023

Blanc, Brailsford 'to arrive at Man United next month'

Jean-Claude Blanc and Sir Dave Brailsford will allegedly arrive at Manchester United's Carrington training base in January to start their analysis of the club.

Jean-Claude Blanc and Sir Dave Brailsford will reportedly arrive at Manchester United's Carrington training base in January to start their analysis of the club.

On Christmas Eve, it was confirmed that an agreement had been reached for British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe to purchase 25% of the club, although it is yet to be ratified by the Premier League.

Brailsford is sporting director of INEOS, and he was spotted at Old Trafford for Tuesday's Premier League clash between Man United and Aston Villa.

The 59-year-old is set to be a key figure at Man United under Ratcliffe, and the ex-performance director of British Cycling will officially start work at the club's training base next month, according to The Telegraph.

The report claims that Blanc, who is CEO of INEOS Sport, will also be present at Carrington from January, with the Frenchman due to conduct an in-depth analysis of the club alongside Brailsford.

Dave Brailsford talks to the media on July 23, 2018 © Reuters

Ratcliffe will allegedly not be making any sweeping changes for the moment, and it will be a 'watch, listen and learn exercise' in the early stages of his time as a minority shareholder.

The owner and founder of INEOS will take over the football department at Old Trafford, and there is expected to be a key focus on recruitment and scouting, with the club struggling in that area in recent years.

Blanc previously worked for the French Tennis Federation as a chief executive, while he has formerly been the Juventus CEO and marketing executive of Paris Saint-Germain.

A sporting director will eventually be appointed, but 'no snap decisions will be made', according to a report, with Ratcliffe first wanting to gain a greater understanding of exactly what is required.

Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe on March 17, 2023 © Reuters

However, according to The Guardian, as many as 300 jobs at Old Trafford are under threat, with the club's structure being looked at by Ratcliffe.

The report claims that the British billionaire could decide to reduce the staff at Old Trafford by as much as 30%, with an external auditor set to be appointed to look at the club's expenditure.

There remains speculation surrounding the future of head coach Erik ten Hag, but the Red Devils managed to pick up a huge three points against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Villa led 2-0 at Old Trafford, but a brace from Alejandro Garnacho levelled the scores before Rasmus Hojlund's first Premier League goal secured a vital win for the Manchester outfit.

The Red Devils, who are back into sixth position in the Premier League table, will now be bidding to end 2023 on a high when they head to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.