United hand academy chief a surprising new role ahead of the January window – report

Another rejig has taken place behind the scenes at Manchester United. Recently, Jonny Evans, who was named Head of Loans and Pathways after he retired from playing in the summer, stepped down from his position after a mere six months. The reason cited for the abrupt decision was that the former centre-back wanted to spend more time with his family. His departure was termed as amicable and the former defender will figure out what to do next after a short break. Stephen Torpey takes over on an interim basis The role is a crucial one, as the head decides which young stars are in need of a move away, and monitoring their progress when they are away from the club. The Red Devils had begun the process of identifying a replacement, but with the January transfer window fast approaching, INEOS have opted for a temporary change until they find the perfect candidate. As per Centredevils, Stephen Torpey, the new academy director, has taken up the responsibility and has been tasked with finding temporary homes for multiple academy starlets. “CentreDevils understands that academy director Stephen Torpey is now leading as the Head of Loans and Pathways, after Jonny Evans stepped down. United need a permanent new loans manager “We can also reveal that the club are set to appoint a new person for this role, with talks already having taken place. “The club are looking to loan a number of young talents this upcoming January window, with talks already being held with some clubs.” With Ruben Amorim not exactly in the mood to hand debuts to academy stars, the 20-time English league champions are on the hunt for the perfect temporary landing spots for multiple stars. Diego Leon, James Scanlon, and Gabriele Biancheri are just some of the few names looking to leave. Players who are out on loan, like Dan Gore, and Harry Amass, could also be loaned out to new clubs. Feature image Alex Livesey via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25