Man United want technical director hired before January window

Manchester United are focusing on the appointment of a technical director before the end of the year to provide a link between the manager and board at Old Trafford rather than rebuilding their recruitment structure with a director of football, sources have told ESPN FC.

United manager Jose Mourinho has been critical of the club's transfer dealingsduring the summer, expressing frustration at the failure to recruit a new centre-half.

Despite top-six rivals Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal moving away from the traditional British model of a manager and chief executive controlling transfer recruitment, United have remained loyal to the formula that was largely successfully during Sir Alex Ferguson's 27-year reign.

However, the club hierarchy, led by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, accept the need to update recruitment operations, having overhauled the scouting system since Ferguson retired in 2013.

Sources have told ESPN FC that a technical director is favoured by Woodward and United's owners, the Glazer family, with the appointment working alongside Woodward and Mourinho rather than being handed the responsibility of driving the recruitment process.