Breaking News: Sir Jim Ratcliffe overhaul continues as ex-Chelsea chief drafted into senior Man Utd role

Jim Ratcliffe is already making major changes at Man United (Image: Getty Images)

Since purchasing a minority interest in Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has assumed complete control over the football operations of the team and has already implemented a number of significant changes.

As the head of INEOS continues to make changes at Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to make another significant off-field appointment.

Since purchasing a minority interest in the team back in December, Ratcliffe has assumed complete control over football operations. Since then, they have hired Jason Wilcox as technical director after stealing Omar Berrada, their new chief executive, from Manchester City, their rivals.

Dan Ashworth, who started a gardening leave in February, is also anticipated to take over as United’s new sporting director; however, talks with Newcastle are still ongoing. Additionally, Toby Craig is expected to join United as chief communications officer, per a Daily Mail report.

Ellie Norman, who is leaving United to take on a new role, will be replaced by Craig. According to the report, Craig’s job responsibilities will differ from Norman’s, with a major emphasis on public affairs and communications.

It’s said that Craig’s appointment was disclosed to the club staff on Tuesday morning, and he will begin work on July 13. He worked alongside Berrada for eight years at City before leaving his position as Chelsea’s director of communications and public affairs last year.

The “organisational structure” is crucial for United, as Ratcliffe has previously stated, saying back in February that “the longer term is the key challenge here.” This is not going to happen overnight; it will take two or three seasons if we do things carefully, completely, and with diligence.

“You need to beg for patience from the fans. I realize that everyone in the modern world enjoys instant gratification, but football isn’t really like that. Watch Pep play at Man City. Building a squad takes time and didn’t happen overnight, but that’s not how we really see it from a squad perspective.

Toby Craig is set to become United’s chief communications officer, having previously worked with chief executive Omar Berrada at Manchester City ( Image: PA)

“For Manchester United to succeed, the foundations must be in place. From our perspective, this means having the proper organizational structure, which excludes, among other things, having a coach who answers to the CEO. The correct organizational structure is what you need, and it won’t be too difficult to achieve.

“Then we need to populate all the key roles with people who are best in class, 10 out of 10s, and there’s clearly a lot of interest in these roles in Manchester United, because it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world but also it’s one of the biggest challenges, because you’re taking it from a difficult place to hopefully where it should be at the top of the pyramid.”