Manchester United’s head of youth recruitment is set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, according to The Times.
Derek Langley is set to retire from his post after 16 years at the club amidst a structural overhaul of the Red Devils’ current academy system.
He was key to the arrivals of the likes of Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Adnan Janzuaj, all of whom went on to play for United’s first-team after arriving at the club as youngsters.
According to the paper, Langley has decided to retire because he is disenchanted with the academy’s decline and the limitations on player recruitment that have been imposed on him.
They also believe that he has cut a frustrated figure working under John Alexander, the club secretary, and John Murtaugh, Everton’s former head of performance, who have been in charge of the club’s academy since Brian McClair left his role as performance director last season.
Langley’s main concerns were around recruitment – rather than being able to pick from the best that the north-west of England had to offer, he has been forced to recruit from lower-league clubs now that Manchester City have forced their way in with their brand-new, state-of-the-art academy campus next to the Etihad Stadium.
United are expected to replace Langley with a figure responsible for the academy’s recruitment and administration and another senior figure to oversee the club’s junior coaching.
The Red Devils are also expected to mimic City’s plans by building a purpose-built academy stadium, as well as introducing full-time coaches for the junior sides.
However, these plans have reportedly been met with scepticism by academy staff, who believe their work behind the scenes has not been valued by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, who they believe is more concerned with making big-money signings.
