Manchester City plot hierarchy restructure with crunch talks scheduled THIS WEEK | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are plotting a further restructuring of the club’s boardroom set-up off the back of a hectic summer transfer window at the Etihad Stadium.

The Premier League giants have been undergoing somewhat of a period of strategic change at board level since Omar Berrada’s high-profile departure to Manchester United in early 2024, where he now holds the position of chief executive officer.

That exit triggered an initial reshuffle, with City Football Group (CFG) figures taking on greater influence to ensure continuity. However, the scale of the recent summer transfer dealings has highlighted the need for a more permanent structure moving forward.

Across recent months, senior CFG directors have gradually taken on more prominent roles within City’s internal operations. Pep Guardiola’s squad planning, as seen with the arrivals of Rayan Cherki, Nico Gonzalez, and Tijjani Reijnders, was overseen by a collective approach.

While this strategy allowed the club to remain competitive in the recent transfer market, it has been seemingly reinforced that there is importance in holding a clear long-term framework at senior boardroom level.

With Pep Guardiola contracted until the summer of 2027 and new signings bedding into the squad, the timing of this potential restructure appears designed to give the club stability in a period of transition. Beyond player recruitment, the new model is expected to influence commercial growth, global football projects, and day-to-day running of the club.

As revealed within a wider-reaching report from The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, a further restructure within City’s hierarchy is being plotted with a meeting scheduled over the course of the coming days in order to discuss plans.

It is revealed that CFG global football business director, Clive Reeves and CFG global football technical director, Riccardo Bigon are the duo leading conversations, both of whom arrived in October 2024 as part of the reshuffle after Omar Berrada’s exit to Manchester United.

Reeves and Bigon are reportedly stepping up plans after Manchester City navigated the most-recent summer transfer window by forming a ‘temporary committee’, with the latter joined by scouts Gary Worthington, Dean Ramsdale, Sam Hood and performance director Simon Timson.

Source speaking to The Athletic are said to believe that the early suggestions are they will adopt a similar strategy to when Manchester City replaced Berrada, by redistributing his responsibilities among several people.

Looking ahead, much will depend on how discussions this week are shaped by the experience of the last transfer window, and a multi-person structure would align with CFG’s broader philosophy of collaboration across its global football network.

For Pep Guardiola, who has worked closely with sporting directors throughout his career but specifically the recently-departed Txiki Begiristain throughout his time at Manchester City, clarity over who drives football operations could prove crucial.

With the competitive season now in full swing and further competitions coming to the fore over the coming days and weeks, as well as the January market approaching, a settled hierarchy may be just as important to the club’s fortunes as any mid-season signing.