Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof has admitted he learned of chief executive Richard Arnold’s exit via text message and needs to find time to thank him for his work.
The Red Devils confirmed on Wednesday that Arnold had decided to step away from his role after a 16-year stay at the club, with Patrick Stewart named as interim CEO.
The news comes just before Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to complete the purchase of a 25% stake in the club, with the INEOS founder looking to set up a new leadership committee once onboarded at Old Trafford.
While away on international duty with Sweden this week, Lindelof became the first United player to be asked about Arnold’s departure.
“I just received an SMS about it. He is a person I like very much. I think he did very well and represented the club in a nice way,” Lindelof told Fotbollskanalen.
“It is sad that he has to leave. I’ll have to call or text him later to thank him in person.”
United’s fortunes on the pitch have also been the subject of intense scrutiny so far this season. Though they entered the November international break top of the Premier League form table, performances have been unconvincing during Erik ten Hag’s second year in charge and United have already lost nine games this season.
“It has been tough, of course. In terms of performance, it has been up and down, we haven’t quite reached the level we wanted,” Lindelof added.
“And there will always be a lot written about a club like Manchester United. Other teams have been praised for their start to the season, but we are still only four or five points behind, I don’t know exactly. It’s not terribly bad, but certainly not at the level we want to be.
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