Manchester United confirm appointment of new head of recruitment

Manchester United’s internal restructuring has continued quietly behind the scenes in recent weeks.

With changes already made at senior level and ongoing adjustments across the football department, the club have also been refining their recruitment structure.

We previously reported that United were in advanced talks with Paul Midgley of Newcastle United for a key recruitment role, but that move ultimately fell through after he opted to remain in the north-east.

That development left a vacancy at Carrington – and now it has been filled.

Our exclusive news that Manchester United have promoted Connor Hunter internally has effectively been confirmed after he updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect his new position as Head of Recruitment within the youth structure.

Hunter is a Liverpool John Moores University graduate who has spent eight years working in a variety of scouting and recruitment roles at the club.

His previous responsibilities have included academy lead phase scout, pre-academy manager, head of local recruitment (7-15), lead phase scout for the Under-13 to Under-16 age groups, and most recently national scouting manager.

United initially explored appointing externally following Luke Fedorenko’s departure, but have instead opted for continuity by promoting from within.

The decision ensures stability in the club’s talent identification pathway at a time when youth development remains a central pillar of long-term strategy.

With recruitment increasingly focused on British-based prospects in the post-Brexit landscape, Hunter’s extensive experience within United’s youth network positions him well to oversee the next phase of talent identification.

The appointment may not grab headlines in the same way as first-team changes, but it represents another significant step in shaping the club’s future structure behind the scenes.

As United continue balancing first-team ambitions with long-term squad planning, strengthening their academy recruitment framework remains crucial – and this appointment signals a clear commitment to building sustainability from within.