Manchester United’s search for technical director drags on despite Nicky Butt promotion

Nicky Butt

The Old Trafford club have been searching to fill the role for more than half a year and originally hoped to make an appointment by the start of the 2019/20 season.

However, ESPN FC sources say there is now no deadline for the appointment to be made by.

Former players Rio Ferdinand and Darren Fletcher have been considered, as Ferdinand has held talks with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Fletcher is working as a consultant for the club.

Nicky Butt was recently promoted from academy head to head of first team development and will sit on the club’s technical board, but his appointment will not impact the hunt for a technical director.

The former midfielder will work alongside boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to help young players take the step from youth to senior football, but he won’t have any say on transfer dealings.

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Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.