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Manchester United are set to appoint Ben Clarke to Old Trafford recruitment, according to a report from Football Insider.
Peter O’Rourke (footballinsider247) has revealed that United will poach Clarke from Cardiff City, where the Irishman has impressed in his role as Head of Academy.
Clarke is believed to have “agreed terms” with United and will soon move to Old Trafford.
United officials are currently looking to improve their youth set-up and have “targeted” the Cardiff City man to take on the responsibility of recruiting for the academy.
Clarke studied at the University of South Wales and achieved a BSc in Football Coaching and Development. He then went on to complete a master’s degree in Advanced Performance Football Coaching at the same university.
His first official role in professional football came as a trainee with the Republic of Ireland FA before becoming a coach at Swansea.
Clarke then accepted a position as a Performance Analyst with the Welsh international set-up, which then landed him a role at Cardiff City as a youth coach.
He forged a strong reputation at the Welsh club, quickly progressing through the ranks to become Head of Academy Recruitment – a position he has held since August 2021.
Clarke’s work in this role has attracted attention from across the Football League, with officials at United keen to secure his services ahead of potential rivals.
The football operation at Old Trafford is set to undergo a potentially dramatic transformation following the recent developments in the takeover of the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is close to agreeing a minority share ownership deal, giving him control of United’s sporting side.
INEOS are said to be willing to conduct a 100-day review of the club should their bid prove successful, with some changes at management level expected.
Based on Clarke’s position mainly related to the academy, his move to United is not supposed to be affected by the possible shake-up expected in the not too distant future.