Richard Arnold favourite to replace Ed Woodward at Manchester United

Manchester United are said to have drawn up a three-man shortlist of candidates to replace outgoing executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, with Richard Arnold favourite to be appointed his successor.

The club have been on the hunt for Woodward's replacement since he announced his intention to stand down from his role this summer.

The United chief came under criticism for his part in the Super League debacle, though it later emerged he had in fact opposed the plans to join the breakaway competition and subsequently resigned after refusing to offer his support.

Arnold is currently United's group managing director - a position he's filled for a little less than eight years - and has overall responsibility for the club's commercial affairs. Both he and football director John Murtough report directly to Woodward, a setup which is expected to remain in place following his departure.

The Guardian report that Arnold is favourite to replace the outgoing United chief, with the Glazers keen to appoint a successor from within club rather than looking elsewhere.

The report adds that chief financial officer Cliff Baty and head of corporate finance Hemen Tseayo are the other names on the three-man shortlist, with the former in charge of 'financial control' at the club and the latter's roles listed as 'capital structure planning, corporate development projects, strategy, corporate actions and investor relations activity'.

Tseayo was involved in United's decision to join the much-maligned Super League and so his appointment would likely be an unpopular one with the fans, especially given the Glazers' recent attempts to build bridges with the fanbase,

While the report suggests United will look to promote from within when looking for Woodward's replacement, it does add that former Red Devils goalkeeper and current Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar may be of interest if they look elsewhere.