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Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly set to appoint former Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) executive Jean-Claude Blanc as Richard Arnold's replacement as Manchester United CEO. The British billionaire INEOS chief is close to buying a 25% stake at the club, and the deal will be ratified by the Old Trafford board in the coming days.
Despite Ratcliffe set to own only 25% stake at Manchester United, he could enjoy control of football operations. The British tycoon is understood to be eyeing a major overhaul at Old Trafford, and Richard Arnold is the first one to be lose his position.
Arnold has left his role after two years as CEO of the Red Devils, having taken over from Ed Woodward. He looks set to be replaced by Jean-Claude Blanc. The 60-year-old is fondly called 'the Lionel Messi' of sports business, which speaks volumes regarding his ability.
Blanc was an employee of Ratcliffe's company INEOS and has been overseeing the sports portfolio for the group, which includes OGC Nice and Lausanne-Sport. He's also involved in cycling and Formula 1 business, with INEOS a major sponsor of the Mercedes team.
Blanc is a Havard graduate and worked for the French Tennis Federation as chief executive before moving into football. He was in charge of the French Open (Roland Garros), the Paris Master Series and the Davis Cup/Fed Cup tennis events in France.
He played a key role in ensuring Juventus' comeback to the top when they were relegated to Serie B in 2006 following the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal. The Frenchman also played a decisive role in helping Juventus dominate Serie A commercially by rebuilding the club and moving to the Allianz Stadium in 2011.
Blanc also enjoyed plenty of success at PSG, having joined the French side in 2011. During his time at the Parc des Princes, the French side won 26 trophies including eight Ligue 1 titles.
Jonny Evans names one Manchester United player he admires the most
Manchester United defender Jonny Evans has named Rasmus Hojlund as the player he admires the most at the club. The veteran Northern Ireland defender has hailed the young Hojlund for his attitude and work ethics.
In a fans' Q&A with club media, Evans said as quoted by The Manchester Evening News:
“I’d probably say Hojlund. I think, for such a young lad, to have his attributes and his personality to be able to come in and, you know, his work-rate too. I think the fans have really taken to him already and he’s going to become a top player.”
Both Evans and Hojlund joined Manchester United this summer as part of Erik ten Hag's summer overhaul. Evans returned to his boyhood club eight years after his departure, while Hojlund arrived from Serie A side Atalanta in a deal worth £64 million plus £8 million as add-ons.
