Manchester United and Manchester City seeking to improve relationships after recent boardroom exchanges

Manchester United and Manchester City, Premier League rivals, are reportedly improving their relationship following recent developments.

There have been reports of a better relationship after Omar Berrada, now the former City chief, left his position at the Etihad Stadium and City Football Group to become the CEO at Manchester United following a period of gardening leave.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS investors made a strong push for Berrada’s services towards the end of 2023, after significant interest from US sporting franchises, particularly in the Moroccan chief.

It seems that discussions between Manchester City and Manchester United regarding Omar Berrada have led to a significant improvement in relations at the boardroom level.

According to MailSport’s Matt Hughes, United’s appointment of Berrada as CEO is expected to enhance the relationship with City compared to the tensions under his predecessors, Richard Arnold and Ed Woodward.

Old Trafford insiders were reportedly pleased with City’s cooperative approach towards Berrada before Christmas, and the Moroccan has been allowed to meet some of his new colleagues despite being on gardening leave from his previous club.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe recognizes the benefits of having two strong clubs in Manchester with good professional relationships, as per MailSport’s recent reporting.

In light of the successful exchange of Omar Berrada between Manchester City and Manchester United, Pep Guardiola, the head coach of Etihad, was asked about the possibility of more open discussions on player transfers in the future.

“Yeah, why not?” Guardiola responded during a press conference. “If a player is unhappy here, wants to go to United, and all parties agree on the right price, why not? What’s the problem?”

Carlos Tevez is the most recent first-team star to move between the two Manchester clubs, joining City in 2009, which caused controversy and led to the iconic ‘Welcome to Manchester’ billboard in the city centre.