Manchester United

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Bill Rice, BBC Radio Manchester

Manchester United have confirmed Richard Arnold will succeed Ed Woodward as the club's most senior executive next month.

He will become chief executive in a change of title from Woodward, who was executive vice chairman.

The 50-year-old joined United in August 2007 and has been the club's manging director since 2013. During that time he has led efforts to improve engagement with fans and the community, as well as plans to modernise Old Trafford.

“I am honoured to have the chance to serve this great club and its fans,” said Arnold. “I am determined to return that honour in any way I can.”

Arnold's remit will be leading the club not just commercially but to success, something described by co-chairman Joel Glazer as "our most important objective - winning on the pitch".

Co-chairman Joel Glazer thanked Woodward for his "tireless work on behalf of Manchester United during his 16 years with the club".

However, since replacing David Gill in 2013, the club have failed to win or even seriously challenge for the Premier League, winning the FA Cup in 2016, plus the Europa League and the EFL Cup in 2017.

Arnold will be tasked with delivering a more fruitful return under his tenure.

An 88th minute opener... check ✅

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A 93rd-minute missed penalty... check ✅

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When Manchester United and Aston Villa met back in September, it was pure chaos.

Bruno Fernandes missed a 93rd-minute penalty as Aston Villa won at Old Trafford for the first time in 12 years in a pulsating match.

Kortney Hause had put Villa ahead with a powerful header two minutes from the end of normal time before the defender handled inside the box to present United with a lifeline.

However, Fernandes blazed high over the bar in front of the Stretford End as United's unbeaten start to the Premier League season came to an end.

Ruben Neves would be a "headline signing" for Ralf Rangnick if he moved to Old Trafford in January, according to the Guardian's Jamie Jackson.

Reports say United are determined to sign the Portugal midfielder this month and Jackson said he would be a welcome addition at the club.

He told the Transfer Gossip Daily on BBC Sounds: "I think he’s got two years left on his contract.

"On one hand, good luck to them trying to get him out of Wolves in January, but I would love to see him there.

"I don’t think we’ve seen a creative midfield player since Paul Scholes so that would be a very, very, very good signing.

"A bit like a headline signing in Ralf Rangnick’s interim tenure. They’ve got the money, but can they get a player like that out of Wolves?"

Hear more of the latest transfer rumours on BBC Sounds

Manchester United are determined to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves, 24, this month. (The Sun), external

Up to 11 players are keen to leave United, having grown disillusioned with life at Old Trafford and rumours of a dressing-room crisis. (Mirror), external

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are trying to sign French defender Dan-Axel Zagadou, 22, who is available on a free transfer in the summer from Borussia Dortmund. (Foot Mercato - in French), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

We're already five days into the January transfer window, so here's a brief round-up of the best Manchester United transfer gossip to drop so far:

• United are at the front of the race to sign Argentinian hotshot Julian Alvarez, who has hit 18 goals in 21 games for River Plate this season, with the 21-year-old's agent reportedly having met United representatives earlier this week (Manchester Evening News), external.

• The Red Devils could exchange wantaway France stars with Barcelona - with Anthony Martial leaving Old Trafford for the Nou Camp and Ousmane Dembele moving in the opposite direction (Ara - in Catalan), external.

• Netherlands midfielder Donny van de Beek could end his frustrating Old Trafford stint with a January exit (ESPN), external - but a dispute with his former agent is holding up a potential move (Sunday Mirror), external.

Catch up with all the latest transfer news by tuning into BBC Radio 5 Live's Transfer Gossip Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

You can also get all the best transfer chat via our gossip column here and track every done deal throughout January here.

Manchester United host Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Monday, but who will make it into Ralf Rangnick's starting XI?

You'll be able to pick - and share on social media - your own line-up for every United game throughout the campaign.

It's up to you how to approach it - you could go for the team you WANT the boss to pick or the one you THINK he will.

Either way, it's time to choose your United team to face Villa

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Matt McG, Oxford: Get rid: Mata, Jones, Martial, Van De Beek; Get in: a centre back, a centre mid, a pressing striker

Nathan, Manchester: It's more about who we can get out. Lingard, Mata, Martial, Jones all don't play enough, it has to be detrimental to morale. We have too many "talented academy graduates" who are defended by the media based on potential and past merit, but if you analyse the performances they rarely put in a good shift in terms of output. Rashford runs with his head down and has an inconsistent end product, Greenwood is immature, he carries himself like he's as proven as Ronaldo, and McTominay is just poor.

Martin Baker-Smith, Sale: More than signing players we need to get rid of the dead weight in the team, that's not just eating into our wage bill but has also made our team the joke of world football. Martial, Pogba, and Fred need to go. Give the squad players a chance - Van de Beek, Dean Henderson, Amad Diallo. If I could play fantasy football and make three transfers to improve our squad, I would sign Rudiger from Chelsea, Rice from West Ham and I would flog Ronaldo, his signing has caused our team to be too disjointed.

Have your say on United's transfer window here

After reports that Borussia Dortmund are keen for Haaland's future to be resolved before the end of the January transfer window, the Telegraph's Luke Edwards thinks the Norwegian is most likely to either join Manchester City or Manchester United.

Speaking on the Transfer Gossip Daily on BBC Sounds, he said: "I think in the summer we talked about Haaland probably more than any other player. He was linked with everybody in the summer and with all the big clubs around Europe.

"Haaland is going to go. This is the showbiz transfer signing. This is the great one. This is the stuff of fantasy football. All the top clubs want to think that Haaland is going to join them.

"I can’t see him leaving this month. I really can’t. Whether they want him to make a decision on where he is going to go in the summer this month, I don’t know.

"He elevates every single forward line in the Premier League if he comes to one of the clubs. Even Manchester City. But quite frankly if Manchester City get him in the summer everyone else will probably just give up for another 12 months.

"Manchester United is the move that sort of captures my imagination the most, but whether he will want to go to  a club that probably by the looks of things won’t be playing in the Champions League next season is another matter entirely.

"That’s why Manchester United’s end to this season is so important so you can get a top-four finish to try and get players like that."

Hear more of the latest transfer rumours on BBC Sounds

After reports Donny van de Beek will assess his options in January, the Telegraph's Luke Edwards says his move to Old Trafford is one of the worst pieces of transfer business that Manchester United have done.

Speaking on the Transfer Gossip Daily on BBC Sounds, Edwards said: "If only there was an Agatha Christie around because this is one of the mysteries that I just cannot get my head around.

"I’m a huge lover of Ajax and I thought Donny van de Beek was absolutely brilliant in that Ajax team that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2019.

"He was widely considered one of the best young players in Europe. He’s gone to Manchester United and they just don’t seem to want to play him ever. Phil Jones has started more meaningful Premier League games this season than Donny van de Beek and poor Phil Jones hadn’t played for two years.

"If he wasn’t assessing his options I would be amazed.

"Ralf Rangnick says he wants to keep him but I just don’t understand what’s happened. They spent £50m on a player that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Ralf Rangnick doesn’t want to play.

"He’s got to sit on a bench and watch that awful Manchester United midfield either passing the ball sideways or losing it and he just doesn’t get a look in. I don’t know what he’s done but it is one of the great mysteries and one of the worst pieces of transfer business for Manchester United in recent times."

Hear more of the latest transfer rumours on BBC Sounds

Dutch midfielder Donny van de Beek will assess his options this month as the 24-year-old considers a move away from Manchester United. (ESPN), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

The transfer window opened on Saturday and will remain open for business until 31 January at 23:00 GMT.

But who do you want to see interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick bring in to the club this month? Where does the squad need strengthening?

And are there any players who need to move on?

Give us your views on United's ins and outs here

Bournemouth have agreed a deal to sign Manchester United right-back Ethan Laird, with the 20-year-old having spent the first half of the season on loan at Championship rivals Swansea City. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Bill Rice, BBC Radio Manchester

Manchester United fans have got used to false dawns and disappointments in the nine years since Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement, and Monday's home defeat by Wolves was the latest.

There were one or two signs in the win over Burnley things were starting to click under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, but this loss was a step backwards and had much more in common with the unconvincing draw at Newcastle United.

In truth, 1-0 flattered United, who were outpassed and outplayed. They were fortunate too, because Wolves created a lot more chances than they scored - the margin of victory could have been much larger and the game could have been over by half-time.

Despite the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho that were meant to close the gap to Manchester City, United now find themselves nine points worse off than after 19 games last season, and in a scrap to qualify for Europe next season.

One of the only bright spots in a first home loss to Wolves in 42 years was the return of Phil Jones, who performed admirably at centre-back after almost two years without a game.

Rangnick says he knows how big a job he has taken on, but can't guarantee a top four finish, and with Luke Shaw's comments questioning the motivation and togetherness of the squad, United face a fight to save their season.

Have your say on Manchester United on Talking Balls on BBC Radio Manchester

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Former Chelsea and Celtic forward Chris Sutton criticised Manchester United's "insipid" performance in defeat by Wolves - but argued it is still too early to judge Ralf Rangnick's influence at Old Trafford.

"They were a bit of a mess," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "They didn't pass well and there were too many passengers.

"Wolves thoroughly deserved the win - Rangnick needs more time to get his ideas across, but whether United can get into the top four currently looks highly unlikely."

Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards, however, suggested Rangnick's choice of system was in part to blame for a disjointed display.

"Why is he playing this 4-2-2-2 formation with Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho playing centrally?" he said.

"I get things take time, but why would you play that when you've not got the players or the starting XI to make it work?"

Listen to full analysis of the performance on the Football Daily podcast from 3'30 on BBC Sounds

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• Wolves picked up their first away league win against Manchester United since February 1980, ending a run of 10 visits to Old Trafford without a win (drawn three, lost seven).

• United have failed to score in four different Premier League home games this season, already more than they did in the whole of 2020-21 (three).

• The Red Devils have lost their opening league match in two of the past three calendar years, as many defeats as they’d suffered in the previous 23 years before that.

• Meanwhile, 36% of Wolves’ Premier League goals against Manchester United have come from outside the box (four from 11), the highest of all 31 teams to have scored at least 10 goals against the Old Trafford side in the competition.

Simon Stone, BBC Sport at Old Trafford

It is becoming evident the issues that arose during the final weeks of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign will not disappear through a change of manager.

Ronaldo was a muted force and the United fans did not think Mason Greenwood deserved to be substituted for Fernandes given the boos that accompanied his exit.

United were often overrun in midfield and, as so often under Solskjaer, were left hoping for a moment of inspiration that did not come.

For Wolves, it is 6 November since they have last been involved in a game that contained more than one goal.

But boss Bruno Lage believed his team should have had something tangible to show for an opening period in which they had an incredible 15 shots, the most by a visiting team at Old Trafford in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game since records started being kept in the 2004-05 season.

Although they were forced onto the defensive more after half time, they weathered the storm and, instead of settling for a point, Joao Moutinho had other ideas.

Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick, speaking to BBC Sport: "Very disappointed, like the players. We knew it could be a complicated game because the Wolves with a back five are very flexible in midfield. In the first half we were struggling. We had too many easy turnovers, too many unforced errors and too many giveaways. That didn't make the job any easier for us and that is why we changed to a back three. For 35 minutes we had more control and missed the chance to score the first goal. It was clear to me the team that scored the first goal would win the game.

"Today we showed similar problems the team had three or four weeks ago before I arrived. It is not an easy job to develop a DNA with and without the ball. The game today showed there are still quite a few steps to."

On Phil Jones: "There was no doubt at all regarding his attitude because I saw him training. If you consider hasn't played in two years it was a very good performance."

Make the top four? "I cannot make any guarantees. Look at today's performance if I say we are 100% convinced we will finish in the top four I don't know if people will believe that. For me it is about taking the next steps and getting better.

"I knew this could be and would hard but today's game showed we still have a long way to go."