Man United’s Arsenal connection grows as former Gunners chief ‘agrees’ switch to Carrington

Manchester United are reportedly set to appoint Ameesh Manek as their new director of football operations, making him the latest figure to have worked for both Arsenal and the Red Devils.

According to BBC Sport, Manek will join from Brentford, where he served as chief operating officer, having initially arrived at the West London club as business operations director before earning promotion, playing a key role in the Bees’ off-field development.

The move follows the departure of David Harrison earlier this year, with Manek expected to oversee travel and logistics, player welfare and team operations across the club, reporting directly to football director Jason Wilcox and be primarily based at Carrington, the centre of United’s daily football activities.

Although his position at Brentford focused mainly on administration, Manek’s responsibilities at Old Trafford are set to be broader, with a greater emphasis on football operations for both the men’s and women’s teams as United continue to restructure their football department.

Man United’s new director Manek had a five-year stint at Arsenal

Before joining Brentford in 2022, Manek spent five years at Arsenal, where he rose to become the head of first-team football operations, and his experience at the Emirates laid the foundation for his growing reputation as a football administrator.

Manek now becomes the latest in a growing list of professionals to have served both Arsenal and Man United in recent years, as there has been a trend of several key figures working for the North London club before taking up roles at Old Trafford.

Andreas Georgson, who previously worked as a set-piece coach at Arsenal, briefly joined Man United’s backroom staff in 2024 before later taking up a role with Tottenham Hotspur.

Similarly, long-serving Arsenal medic Gary O’Driscoll, who spent over 14 years with the Gunners, made the move to Man United in 2023 to become their head of sports medicine.

Another notable name on that list is Jordan Reece, who joined Arsenal in 2012 and climbed through the ranks to become head physio, but he followed O’Driscoll to Man United in 2024 as part of a major medical department overhaul, replacing the club’s previous lead physiotherapist.

Manek’s time at Arsenal was not free from controversy

Manek’s spell at Arsenal was not without controversy, as he was fined for misconduct in 2019 after reportedly confronting match officials during a heated Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.

The administrator was alleged to have exchanged words with fourth official Stuart Attwell and referee Jon Moss at half-time, an incident that resulted in an £8,000 fine from the FA.

Despite that episode, Manek’s reputation as a capable and experienced football operator has continued to grow, leading to his latest appointment at Man United, and his arrival adds to a string of key leadership changes as the club undergoes a wide-ranging internal transformation under new management direction.

Man United’s recent structural overhaul has seen several high-profile appointments, including the addition of Stephen Torpey, another Brentford alumnus, as academy director.

The INEOS-led ownership has shown a clear intent to reshape United’s foundations, combining strong executive leadership with major infrastructural upgrades, and their recent £50m redevelopment of the club’s training base reflects this broader strategy of rebuilding Man United from the ground up, both on and off the pitch.