MANCHESTER UNITED have been told to replace Ed Woodward with former Chelsea transfer guru Michael Emenalo.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright says the Old Trafford club should make the call to ramp up their pursuit of new players.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s attempts to land No1 transfer target Jadon Sancho have so far hit a brick wall.
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United have brought in just one player this summer in the shape of former Ajax star Donny van de Beek.
Moves for Jack Grealish, Ben Chilwell and Gareth Bale all fell through.
Emenalo was at Chelsea during the club’s most successful spell in their history.
He was first assistant coach then technical director between 2007 and 2017.
A former Nigeria international, he was also credited with signing Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.
England hero Wright believes Emenalo, 55, who was also director of football at Monaco, is the perfect man to take charge of transfers.
He said on the Kelly and Wrighty show: “For me, and it’s blatantly obvious to me, you’ve got someone like Michael Emenalo who was at Chelsea.
“He won three Premier Leagues under three different managers, he’s won the Champions League, he’s helped oversee the loan system and the academy system at Chelsea.
“We’re talking about a director of football who knows exactly what he’s doing.
“We’re talking about under [Roman] Abramovich with three different managers and he still managed, because he’s a football man, to get the job done.
“What happened with Chelsea was that when we say ‘another manager’s come in’, but they’re still winning trophies.
“This is the thing because he’s put a culture and [template] in where they can just put that player in, bring that manager in, and they can go forward and do it.
“That’s what Man Utd need and that is what they haven’t got and that is the elephant in the room.”
United fans found fresh reason to fume at executive vice-chairman Woodward after Rio Ferdinand recently revealed the brutal nature with which he was let go after 12 years at the club.
And Ferdinand’s former team-mate Patrice Evra blasted Woodward for being too “trusting” and sending the “wrong people” to negotiate transfers.
Woodward, 48, is an accountant by trade and former investment banker whereas Emenalo enjoyed a 15-year playing career that ended at Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2000.
He scored seven goals in 175 career appearances and earned 14 caps for his country.
