Richard Arnold 'is in pole position' to succeed Ed Woodward as Manchester United's most powerful executive with the Glazer family thought to favour an internal candidate.
Woodward, 49, announced last month that he will step down from his role as the club's executive vice-chairman at the end of this year. He has been at United since 2005 and held that job since 2012.
The Guardian report that Arnold, United's group managing director, head a list of three candidates to replace Woodward, all of whom currently work at the club.
Cliff Baty, the chief financial officer, and Hemen Tseayo, the head of corporate finance, are also reportedly being considered for the role by the club's owners.
Arnold currently reports to Woodward along with United's first director of football John Murtough and this power structure is likely to remain once Woodward departs.
Woodward announced that he will step down from his role on April 20 amid the fall-out from United signing up to the breakaway European Super League.
Like the other five Premier League participants, United withdrew from the new competition some 48 hours after it launched following furious fan protests.
United co-chairman Joel Glazer was set to be a vice-chairman of the Super League but the project now looks dead in the water with nine of the 12 founder clubs accepting a modest punishment to return to the UEFA fold last week.
That didn't stop angry United fans protesting against the Glazer family outside Old Trafford earlier this month, causing the postponement of a match with Liverpool after they breached security to gain access to the pitch.
Tseayo, a former banker and accountant, joined United in 2012 and was heavily involved in their floatation on the New York Stock Exchange as well as on the future of broadcasting rights and Super League planning.
Baty, appointed in 2016, serves on United's board of directors and is responsible for 'all aspects of financial reporting and financial control of the company', according to the club's website.
