Manchester United chief executive Richard Arnold is reportedly expected to leave his position at the club should Jim Ratcliffe's minority takeover of the club be completed.
Arnold took over from former CEO Ed Woodward in the early stages of 2022 and has overseen the operations of the Red Devils as the future of the club's ownership remains in the balance.
The Old Trafford side have seen bids from INEOS chief Ratcliffe as well as Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who recently pulled out of the battle for the club.
Consequently, Ratcliffe remains the only runner in the race for partial ownership of the Red Devils, with the 71-year-old ready to take a 25% stake in the club.
His minority takeover would see £1.3bn invested into the 20-time English champions, with a main focus on modernising the club's Old Trafford home and training facilities.
© Reuters
According to The Athletic, Ratcliffe is expected to relieve CEO Arnold of his duties once he gains control of the footballing side of Man United.
The report adds that although Arnold is set to leave his current post, it is possible that the 52-year-old remains at United in some capacity.
It is understood that Ratcliffe has a potential successor to Arnold in mind, drawing on his connections during his time spent as CEO of INEOS.
Jean Claude-Blanc is the man being considered for the role of CEO at the Red Devils, with the Frenchman possessing experience of working at a host of top European outfits.
© Reuters
The 60-year-old has previously worked as chief executive for Italian giants Juventus, before moving to a high-ranking role at Paris Saint-Germain.
Since leaving the Ligue 1 champions in December 2022, Claude-Blanc has overseen the entirety of INEOS' sports portfolio, which includes French club Nice and ventures into the world of cycling.
United's board are currently in the process of voting on whether the proposed minority takeover of the club by Ratcliffe should be approved, with a decision reportedly still weeks - possibly months - away.
On the pitch, the Red Devils have improved following a shaky start to the campaign, with Erik ten Hag's men looking to make it four straight wins with a victory over Manchester City on Sunday.
