Man Utd set to poach ex-Arsenal executive from Premier League rivals to take charge of revamped Carrington training ground

The Carrington Training Centre is United's state-of-the-art training complex, in Greater Manchester. Earlier this year the club completed a significant £50 million ($67m) refurbishment of the main first-team building, led by renowned architects Foster + Partners. The upgraded facility is designed to optimise player performance, health, and wellbeing. New features include a dedicated performance area with a gym, altitude room, hydrotherapy pools, and medical suites. It also boasts a new lounge with a kitchen, a barber shop, and open-plan offices for coaching staff. The refurbishment followed criticism from players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, about the training complex's outdated facilities.

Manek is a prominent football operations executive known for his successful transition from the corporate world into the high-stakes Premier League football environment and will report to sporting director Jason Wilcox. He first moved into football at Arsenal, where he was head of academy football operations from 2015 to 2018 and head of first team football operations until 2020. After that he enjoyed a productive tenure at Brentford, where he was promoted to chief operating officer in July 2024. At Brentford, Manek initially served as business operations director and his work involved overseeing daily functions of the club.

Former United midfielder Andreas Pereira has weighed in on the debate about Man Utd's training base facilities, which have recently undergone the £50m makeover since Pereira left. Speaking to ESPN Brazil,he said: "Compared to what's out there, it's the elite of football. Few clubs have the structure Palmeiras has. I've worked for several big clubs in Europe, and I can say that Palmeiras has the best structure I've ever worked in. Better than Manchester United when I was there." 

As Manek prepares to take onhis new role, another senior name at the club had his future at Old Trafford confirmed after co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe revealed boss Ruben Amorim’s job is not currently under threat. Man Utd finished in a lowly 15th place last season, lost the Europa League final to Tottenham and performances this season have led many to believe the Portuguese boss would be let go. But Amorim has been given a major boost after an update from Ratcliffe.

The INEOS chief told The Business podcast: "He has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That's where I would be. The press, sometimes I don't understand. They want overnight success. They think it's a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it's all going to be roses tomorrow. You can't run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week." And asked what would happen if the Glazers told him to sack Amorim, Ratcliffe added: "It's not going to happen."