Manchester United refused the services of corporate lawyer Tom Keen.
Keane, the brother of academy graduate Michael, was invited in the summer as a transfer specialist with experience in the field of legal contracts.
The legal expert oversaw the transfers of Casemiro and Anthony while at the club.
Initially, it was assumed that this was a temporary appointment, as people such as former executive chairman Ed Woodward and head of transfers Matt Judge left, leaving a gap in the experience of drafting contracts.
Then, in November, The Daily Mail reported that Keane’s appointment was becoming permanent.
However, despite negotiations to make this happen, Keane eventually returned to his role at Brandsmiths, according to The Athletic.
Thus, the position at Old Trafford is vacant again, and the club is looking for someone in the period before the next transfer window in June.
“Keane was not involved with United in January, and agents who called him about potential targets referred to Murtough, his deputy Andy O’Boyle and head of human resources Steve Brown,” The Athletic reports.
“His departure also indicates that United never expected much success in the winter window.
“It was Murtough, along with a group of lawyers and other recruitment specialists, who completed the loan for Woot Weghorst and Jack Butland.”
Keen joins a number of behind-the-scenes employees who were fired by Murtaugh, who is beginning to show every sign of being difficult to work with.
It was assumed that interim manager Ralph Rangnik would take on the role of consultant after Eric ten Hag was appointed, but a mutually acceptable solution could not be found.
Jim Lawlor, the club’s chief scout, and Marcel Booth, the head of the global scouting department, have also left Murtough in recent months.
