Man Utd announce shock exit as Ratcliffe favourite departs Old Trafford

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Manchester United have announced that Sir Dave Brailsford has left the club, stepping down from his role as director of the Old Trafford side ahead of the summer transfer window.

The head of sport for the Ineos group, Brailsford worked closely with Man Utd as part of his role, but that link is now set to be broken entirely.

The 62-year-old has formally ended his time with the Red Devils, with whom he played a sizeable role since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the club via Ineos in February 2024.

Brailsford initially scaled back his involvement in the day-to-day running of the Old Trafford side a year ago but remained on the board as a director.

Man Utd have confirmed to Companies House that Brailsford no longer holds that position.

He remains close to Ratcliffe and is set to remain as an important advisor to the Man Utd supremo. Moreover, he will continue in his role as director of sport at Ineos.

What does this mean for Man Utd?

Brailsford’s scaled-back role at Man Utd coincided with the club’s re-emergence as a force in the Premier League, while his impact at Ineos’ other side Nice has not been notable.

As such, the impact that he has had on the club has been unclear, with CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox having taken far more prominent roles in the rebuild of Man Utd.

Nevertheless, he set the groundwork for United’s current form by launching the ‘Mission 21’ initiative, also known as Project 150. This has been designed to overhaul performance culture at Man Utd, including the modernisation of the Carrington training ground facilities, in order to lift the club back to the top of the Premier League.

Ratcliffe, meanwhile, still has the former director of UK cycling close at hand should he wish to lean on him for any advice.

Brailsford’s initiative was not designed to be judged in the short term. His work has been done with long-term planning in view, laying the foundation for Ratcliffe’s vision of a modern Manchester United.