Sir Jim Ratcliffe might have to help Erik ten Hag build a new Manchester United partnership

Richard Arnold's exit from Manchester United in midweek has provided the biggest indication yet that a significant restructure is in the offing at Old Trafford.

Following 16 years at the club, Arnold stepped down as chief executive on Wednesday amid Sir Jim Ratcliffe's imminent investment. Frenchman Jean-Claude Blanc has been installed as the favourite to replace him, though Patrick Stewart is holding the fort for now.

In addition to the increasing speculation linking Blanc, who is a leading figure at INEOS Sport, with a post at Old Trafford, recruitment expert Paul Mitchell has been linked with the prospect of becoming sporting director. These reports make it clear that Ratcliffe wants to oversee a major shake-up and bring in leading football minds.

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Appointing a leading sporting director, whether it be Mitchell or someone else, will be a massive step forward for the club. A decade's worth of mistakes were overseen by men who had backgrounds in finance, not football.

Bringing in a recruitment specialist would surely improve United's hit record on the recruitment front. For the amount of money that has been spent over the past decade, success stories have been few and far between, with countless big-money signings failing to live up to expectations.

Though he is only just over a year into his United career, Antony - the club's second-most expensive addition of all-time - is already a prime example of big-money signings flopping at Old Trafford. Without a goal since April and an assist since May, the winger, who could end up costing United up to