Manchester City’s late attempt to retain top official from Manchester United’s grasp revealed

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Published on 2024-03-01 21:01:16

A recent report has unveiled Manchester City’s last-minute efforts to keep Omar Berrada from joining Manchester United earlier this year. Berrada, the former Chief Football Operations Officer at Manchester City, decided to leave the club and go on gardening leave before moving to their cross-town rivals, Manchester United.

Highly regarded within the sports industry, Berrada was sought after by NFL franchises in the United States. Despite Manchester City’s attempts to retain him, Berrada accepted the offer to become Manchester United’s new Chief Executive Officer, a promotion he couldn’t refuse.

The Times’ Paul Hirst reported that Manchester City tried to convince Berrada to stay, but he had already made up his mind about joining Manchester United. The official announcement on January 20 caught most of Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff and players by surprise, with only a few people aware of the switch beforehand.

Although some viewed the move as controversial, most staff had a pragmatic view of Berrada’s decision, seeing it as a natural career progression rather than an act of treachery. Manchester City is now moving forward with their current team of officials, led by Ferran Soriano and Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Despite Berrada’s departure, Txiki Begiristain and his colleagues at the City Football Academy are still working on transfer business as usual. Berrada’s role in player recruitment and sales is being handled by the existing team, who have been instrumental in the club’s success.

Overall, Manchester City is adjusting to Berrada’s departure and focusing on their continued success under their current leadership.

Read Original article on City Xtra