Manchester United in race for highly-rated director of football

Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward watches from the stands during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on September 19, 2020. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward watches from the stands during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on September 19, 2020. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester United are reportedly in the race, alongside a host of top European sides, to lure the highly-regarded director of football to Old Trafford.

The role of a ‘Director of Football’ is pretty significant in today’s footballing world. Nowadays, almost every self-sustained football club wants to fill the respective berth with one astute candidate. And Manchester United appear to be in the search for one at the moment.

Form what it seems from the outset, a director of football carries out all the essential measures it takes to make a club better. They remain involved with every deal a club strike down during the span of a transfer window.

To simplify the task, a director of football is the much-needed bridge of communication between a team’s manager and the club’s president or chief executive (CEO).

Supposed to have his desired transfer targets, a manager makes his wish known to the director of football, also known as the sporting director. And then the chief, after discussing with the coach on the matter and giving his opinion, contacts the club’s CEO or president to advance the requisite deal.

Other than this, there are several other jobs that a director of football tends to do. However, all of these depend on the terms one club initially set for the individual while acquiring the services. Even though the interest in hiring a director of football keeps moving upwards, there are some massive clubs still unwilling to knot a bond with a sporting director.

Manchester United are one of the clubs who don’t have the required footballing brains behind manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Hence, as per the claims from Spanish outlet MARCA (via Sportwitness), the Red Devils are looking to hire an appropriate man for what would undoubtedly be a difficult job.

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To lure ‘one of the most sought-after sports directors’ in Andrea Berta, United have joined a race that already has no shortage of contenders — the names of AS Roma, Inter Milan, and AC Milan have been mentioned already.

AS Roma are believed to be at the summit of the queue as the Italian club have had tried to influence a move several times over the last few years.

The Red Devils also believingly had tried their best when Berta chose to join Atletico Madrid instead in 2017. Since then, he has done a decent job as the chief of the Wanda Metropolitano outfit.

Ed Woodward currently has the power to talk directly to Ole Gunnar Soskjaer about their incoming and outgoings. The arrival of a director of football could see him losing that role.

Do you think Berta would be a suitable man for Manchester United?