Leading Manchester United scouts Jim Lawlor and Marcel Bout will leave the club following a second embarrassing defeat to Liverpool of the season on Tuesday, April 19.
Lawlor leaves his position as chief scout having been with the club for 16 years and Bout departs from his role as head of global scouting, his tenure at the club stretches eight years.
The exits are seemingly just the start of major changes at Old Trafford with Ajax boss Erik ten Hag set to be appointed as manager.
Leading Manchester United Scouts Leave Their Roles at the Club
Jim Lawlor and Marcel Bout Exit Manchester United
As reported by Andy Mitten, of The Athletic, Manchester United released the following statement earlier on Wednesday, April 20: “Jim Lawlor has decided to step down from his role as chief scout in the summer after 16 years with the club.
“During that time, Jim played a key role in the development of multiple trophy-winning Manchester United teams and was an important source of guidance to Sir Alex Ferguson and each of the managers who have followed him.
“Jim leaves the club with our warmest thanks for his significant contribution and our very best wishes for the future.”
Despite his role of chief scout, former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville has suggested Lawlor has been marginalised at the club in recent times:
Not quite sure we’re going to see a revolution. Jim has been marginalised for years so this won’t shift the dial. https://t.co/LcVeng5eiW
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) April 20, 2022
Lawlor has been credited with playing a huge role in the signings of Henrik Larsson and Javier Hernandez, among others.
On Marcel Bout’s departure, the statement adds: “Marcel Bout has departed from his role as head of global scouting after eight years with the club. A respected figure within and outside of Manchester United, Marcel has played an important part as an assistant coach and in the strengthening of our scouting capabilities in recent years.
“Marcel leaves the club with our warmest thanks for his significant contribution and our very best wishes for the future.”
Bout arrived as part of Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal’s staff in 2014.
Summer of Change at Old Trafford
With Erik ten Hag set to arrive as manager and several players set to leave at the end of their contracts, this is the Red Devils’ biggest summer yet.
The club has it all to do and interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who is set to take up a consultancy role at the end of the season, has suggested the club will add several players over the next few transfer windows as part of a rebuild.
As quoted by Sky Sports, Rangnick told the media following a 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield: “For me it’s clear there will be six, seven, eight, maybe 10 new players.”
Nemanja Matic has already announced he will leave the club at the end of the season whilst it looks as though Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani could also be headed for the exit door.
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