Manchester United want to appoint Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman as their new head of recruitment, talkSPORT understands.
The Red Devils are preparing a formal approach to Palace and Freedman comes highly recommended by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Freedman took over as Crystal Palace sporting director in 2017 and played a key role in bringing former boss Patrick Vieira to the club.
The 49-year-old also landed deals for talented duo Marc Guehi and Michael Olise while finalizing the successful transfer from Chelsea Conor Gallagher in 2021.
But the Eagles are now preparing for a Freedman approach from manchester united as first reported by talkSPORT in November.
New owners of Manchester United, INEOS, headed by British billionaire Sir Jim RatcliffeThey see Freedman as the ideal candidate for the new structure of the club.
United's interest comes after the future technical director Daniel Ashworth and the executive director, Omar Berrada, received gardening leave from the city of manchester and Newcastle respectively.
Club bosses see Freedman's experience as a deciding factor in the hope of filling the role quickly, given delays in bringing in Berrada and Ashworth.
Crystal Palace is unlikely to cause any hurdles in the event of an exit, a stance typically taken by employees looking to advance their careers. However, they will likely offer a new deal and allow the individual to make their own decision.
The former Palace striker is not the only name on United's wish list, but he appears to have made the biggest impression on senior figures at Old Trafford.
Freedman enjoyed a 16-year playing career and is best remembered for his two spells at Selhurst Park.
The Scot became a cult hero in south London, scoring 85 goals in 317 games for the Eagles.
spells with Nottingham ForestWolves, Southend and Leeds followed, as did two caps for Scotland at international level.
Freedman went into management at Palace, Bolton and Forest before taking over as sporting director in 2017.