Omar Berrada's Man Utd priorities include axing flops and Erik ten Hag standoff
Manchester United confirmed the appointment of Omar Berrada as their new CEO on Saturday night... and he's got a big job to do.
Berrada will leave his role as chief football operations officer at the City Football Group (CFG) - the organisation which owns Manchester City - to join Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Old Trafford revolution. Mirror Football understands Berrada will start his new job this summer.
It's all change at United. Ratcliffe has agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club from the Glazers for £1.3billion, although that deal still needs to be ratified by the Premier League. He will take charge of football operations once the deal is approved.
Berrada has been tasked with leading United back to the top of European football. The Red Devils haven't won the Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 and are currently seventh in the table, 13 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Ahead of Berrada's TBC start date, Mirror Football takes a look at four things United's new chief must do to turn their fortunes around... and one of them involves Ten Hag.
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Sell or release several players
United must get rid of the deadwood. They've already got to work on this task, with Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek joining Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively. Frankfurt have the option to sign Van de Beek permanently this summer.
Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane are both out of contract in June, but United can trigger 12-month extensions. Although the Martial and Varane are only 28 and 30 respectively, it could be time for the Red Devils to let the pair go for nothing.
Casemiro, who joined United from Real Madrid in a £70million deal just 17 months ago, should also be moved on. The Brazilian, 31, looks a shadow of his former self and isn't the answer to Ten Hag's problems. Berrada must find a way to offload Casemiro.
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Another player who should be axed is Mason Greenwood. Some would argue he already has after his loan move to Getafe, but United will need to find a permanent solution. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Getafe are all after the 22-year-old's signature.
Some fans will argue it's also time for United to sell the likes of Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Antony, Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Facundo Pellistri. But what's not up for debate is the fact Berrada does need to rebuild their stuttering squad.
United will not recuperate all of the money they've invested in Ten Hag's squad, but it's clear they need a rebuild. It's time for Berrada to cut the club's loses and start afresh.
Renegotiate Ten Hag's contract
If Ten Hag is to remain as United's manager, his contract will need to be amended. That's because Ten Hag currently has the power to veto any transfers. It's believed such a clause was written into his contract when he arrived from Ajax in May 2022.
As we've all come to see, Ten Hag isn't the best operator in the transfer market. Antony has never looked like an £82m player, while Wout Weghorst's loan deal still leaves many fans perplexed. And is Onana an upgrade on David de Gea? No, is the short answer.
Ten Hag has relied on his knowledge of the Dutch market and that tactic hasn't worked. He can't be trusted with United's hefty budget and should only stay in charge if that power is taken away from him. Berrada will need to be prepared for showdown talks.
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Find the right players
Berrada lured Erling Haaland to Manchester City in July 2022Speaking of transfers, Berrada played a huge role in building City's successful squad. He's been credited with persuading Erling Haaland, who's scored 71 goals in 75 games for City, to reject the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona and sign for them in July 2022.
"A player like Haaland really could have chosen any top team in Europe. Almost all the top teams were interested in his signature," said Berrada last year. "For us it was about understanding what motivates him.
"When you boil it down to its essence, he wanted a football project. We spent a lot of time explaining the football project. He's a strong character and the decision was taken by him but clearly the fact that his father had played for Man City, there was an affinity."
That transfer expertise will be priceless to United this summer. Berrada has played a key role in City's transfer business since he was promoted to the chief football operations officer role in 2016 to work closely with City's director of football Txiki Begiristain.
During the last eight years, City have signed several top players from abroad - such as Ruben Dias, Jeremy Doku, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez, Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol and Ederson. Other Premier League teams were interested in these stars - but Berrada lured them to City. United's new CEO must be just as persuasive at Old Trafford.
Invest in infrastructure
Although building a successful squad is important, United fans desperate for their club to have one of the top stadiums in England again. Two decades ago, Old Trafford was the finest ground in the country. Yet the Emirates, Wembley, the Etihad, Anfield and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are all now considered as superior stadiums.
United are also hoping to move from their dated Carrington training ground to a state-of-the-art facility. They've opened preliminary talks with High Legh Park Golf Club in Knutsford over purchasing their land to build a new training ground on.
Berrada must ensure United have one of the best stadiums and training grounds in the country again if they are to become a force in European football again. The incoming chief has plenty of work to do - both and off the football pitch.
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