Change is in the air at Manchester United as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to make his mark at Old Trafford.
On Wednesday, the first major move was confirmed as CEO Richard Arnold's departure was announced with Patrick Stewart to replace him on an interim basis.
Arnold's exit signals a shift in approach, something that was to be expected under Ratcliffe. The INEOS founder's 25 per cent acquisition of United is expected to see him take the reins of football matters at Old Trafford and he is clearly wasting no time as he looks to put his stamp on the club.
READ MORE: Glazer sends message to Arnold following exit
READ MORE: Why United have appointed Stewart as interim CEO
Rumours are circling about who will replace Arnold on a permanent basis. A leading contender is said to be Jean-Claude Blanc.
Blanc is best known for his work as CEO at Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain, and is also INEOS Sport's CEO. His approach to the Juve project is one that will certainly catch the eye of United fans.
The Serie A club were down on their luck when Blanc arrived. While the Reds have not slipped to the same depths as the Turin team, both can be considered fallen giants.
In an interview with the FT, Blanc detailed how pivotal his first 100 days at the club were. "You arrive in this environment that is necessarily dynamic because you have a mountain of problems to deal with at once," he explained.
"Practically 100 days are decisive for the club’s future. If you make a bad decision in those 100 days it's over. Then it would take 20 years to return. In those 100 days we took many good decisions."
His assessment of his work at Juve was fair. While they had been relegated to Serie B, they managed to keep hold of Gianluigi Buffon and secured an immediate return to the top flight.
From there they rebuilt and became a force once again. A similar job at United would be needed to save what feels like a sinking ship at present.
Blanc's know-how when it comes to dealing with a club on a downward spiral would be incredibly useful. His experience of rectifying issues could be invaluable and Ratcliffe could do a lot worse as he looks to build his team.
There is no reason why Blanc can't replicate his success in Turin if he's given the power to call the shots in Manchester.
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