London (dpa)
Richard Arnold, chief executive of Manchester United football club, met disgruntled fans at a bar to discuss their concerns about the club’s future.
A group of Manchester United fans were planning a vigil outside Arnold’s home, amid ongoing unrest over the Glazer family’s ownership of the club.
Arnold, who replaced Ed Woodward earlier this year, bought drinks for the group and discussed a range of topics, including talking about the club’s owners and United’s pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
A secretly recorded video clip revealed Arnold’s speech to the fans, as he said, “Money is not in mind” regarding the deals that Manchester United will conclude in the summer transfer period, under the leadership of new Dutch coach Eric Ten Hag.
A Manchester United spokesman said: “Richard heard that a group of fans had gathered in a bar near his home.
The spokesperson added: ‘Arnold went to meet them, bought them all a drink, listened to their opinions and explained what the club was doing to achieve success on the pitch, improve performance and enhance interaction with the fans.
United suffered disappointing results in the past season, as it scored the fewest points in its career in one season since the start of the new system of the English Premier League, occupying sixth place in the competition’s standings with 58 points, after achieving only 16 wins from 38 games.
United’s lackluster results in the past season have fueled ongoing protests against the Glazers.
A new era is set to begin at Old Trafford after the appointment of Ten Hag, with former Dutch coach Ajax Amsterdam replacing interim coach Ralf Rangnick, who took over from sacked Norwegian coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last November.
Rangnick was initially scheduled to remain with the 20-times Premier League champions in an advisory position, but that scheme was abandoned last month.
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