Manchester United claim a ‘thorough process’  undertaken to appoint a new manager

Manchester United football director John Murtough says a “thorough process” is beginning to choose the club’s next permanent manager.

And that the club is committed to competing for “top honours” once more.

Despite the return of superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford, United has faced another challenging season, according to the club’s latest financial numbers released on Tuesday.

Domestically, the most the English giants can hope for is a top-four finish, but they only achieved a draw against lowly Watford on Saturday and are only two points ahead of West Ham and Arsenal – the Gunners also have three games in hand.

United’s next schedule includes games against title contenders Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as the second leg of their Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid, which is now tied at 1-1.

The team, which has not won a trophy since 2017, has been led by interim manager Ralf Rangnick since December, when the German took over for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following a terrible start to the season.

Murtough was encouraged by the “better results” as they seek Champions League qualifying.

“We understand that consistency is critical as we aim for a top-four finish this season,” he added.

“However, I want to emphasize that this is not Manchester United’s ultimate goal, and everyone at the club is focused on competing for the top titles.”

“We are now undergoing a comprehensive process to recruit a new permanent manager who will take over this summer, with the goal of getting us back to competing for those domestic and European crowns.”

Mauricio Pochettino of PSG and Erik ten Hag of Ajax are among the frontrunners to follow Solskjaer on a permanent basis.

Richard Arnold mirrored Murtough’s comments as the CEO spoke publicly for the first time since taking over on February 1 following the departure of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

“We have a clear vision, and we’re implementing a winning plan with an empowered leadership team to move it forward,” he added.

“Through a world-class football environment, we will create an excellence culture while increasing the role of supporters at the core of the club.”

The club paid £10 million ($13.4 million) in “extraordinary items” in the second quarter of fiscal 2022, which ended December 31, including pay to former manager Solskjaer and some members of the coaching staff.

The numbers reveal a £5.4 million operational profit for the quarter, with total revenue of £185.4 million — a 7.3 percent increase over the same period last year, with fans returning to stadiums following the coronavirus closure.

United’s net debt has climbed by 8.6 percent to £494.8 million, while salaries have increased by 19.6 percent to £97.7 million “owing to investment in the first team playing squad.”