New OT job won’t involve transfers

UNITED’S director of football operations will not be involved with any transfer or scouting activity at the club.

It is understood Jose Mourinho will retain autonomy as Reds manager despite calls from certain supporters for a traditional director of football to oversee the club’s recruitment.

The director of football operations remit is a new role which is an updated version of the traditional club secretary job. It heads up logistics, facilities, travel registrations and other similar departments.

United have appointed Rebecca Britain as their new club secretary following John Alexander’s retirement and have split the role into three.

Alexander’s departure is believed to have been viewed as an opportunity to restructure.

Britain is expected to report to the new director of football operations, as will academy staff. United’s head of football development John Murtough, who temporarily ran the academy with Alexander following Brian McClair’s departure in 2015, is expected to do likewise. Liverpool supporter Alexander, who is the uncle of Trent AlexanderArnold, spent seven years in the role after joining United from Tottenham but retired in September.

Britain held the post of football secretary at Tottenham and becomes just the sixth United secretary since 1926 and the first female in the post.

Walter Crickmer was the club secretary between 1926 and 1958, when he was killed in the Munich air disaster, and was succeeded by Les Olive, who served for 30 years. Ken Merrett and Ken Ramsden have also held the post.