Ed Woodward played a key role in the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim boss but the Man Utd supremo is set to press ahead with his plans to step down next year
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Who is Ralf Rangnick? Man Utd’s interim boss in profile
Manchester United chief Ed Woodward is set to continue with his plans to step down from his role in April and will not take a leading role in choosing the club’s next long-term manager, according to reports.
Woodward played a key role in selecting Ralf Rangnick to be appointed as the Red Devils’ interim manager until the end of the season, with the German’s arrival set to be officially announced in the next 24 hours.
The 63-year-old will take his first job in England to see Man United through to the end of the season following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking on Sunday.
It is expected Rangnick will then step aside and continue working with the club in a consultancy role while a long-term manager is selected to lead the club into a new era.
Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag is believed to be the board’s favoured option to replace Solskjaer after learning of the cost to lure Mauricio Pochettino from Paris Saint-Germain.
It was suggested Woodward may seek to delay his Old Trafford exit from April until the summer in order to contribute to the process.
But the Daily Mail report the United supremo is planning to leave his position as executive vice-chairman as planned in April, with managing director Richard Arnold poised to replace him.
The report claims Arnold is keen to begin his new role as soon as possible and while the final decision depends on the Glazer family, it could see Woodward depart in April as originally planned.
However, Woodward is likely to be retained on a consultancy basis, meaning he could have some part to play in the selection process.
The director, 50, holds key contacts within the game and remains an influential figure at the club, having joined the board in 2012.
The financial expert originally played a part in advising the Glazer family on their takeover of the club back in 2005 and has maintained a significant role in the club’s operations ever since.
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But it was his role in the club’s failed attempts to break away with the European Super League back in April which caused unrest amongst the club’s supporters.
It was later revealed Woodward was one of the leading figures in pushing for the breakaway and announced plans to step down from his role earlier this year.
He has held control over the club’s transfers for the majority of his tenure at the club, with the £89million record signing of Paul Pogba in 2016 orchestrated by him.
Woodward was also responsible for arranging the return of Cristiano Ronaldo on transfer deadline day this summer after the Portuguese decided to leave Juventus.
But his overall track record on transfers has been called into question in recent years and his persistent backing of Solskjaer, despite the club’s adverse results, led to discontent from fans and club legends.
United have gone four years without winning a trophy since lifting the Europa League in 2016-17 and it is a commonly-held view that the club were in need of new leadership in the hierarchy.
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