Manchester United have confirmed Omar Berrada, a senior backroom figure at bitter rivals Manchester City, will soon become their new CEO.

Berrada is currently serving as chief football operations officer of the City Football Group, which oversees 11 clubs globally including the English champions.

Prior to taking his current role in 2020, Berrada spent nine years at City having been one of several staff cherry-picked from Barcelona back in 2011.

United have been seeking a replacement for Richard Arnold who stepped down last November and new investor Jim Radcliffe's INEOS group are said to have led the hiring process.

In a statement on their website, the Red Devils said: "Manchester United is pleased to announce the appointment of Omar Berrada as its new CEO.

"The club is determined to put football and performance on the pitch back at the heart of everything we do. Omar's appointment represents the first step on this journey.

"As one of the most experienced football executives at the top of European football, Omar brings a wealth of football and commercial expertise, with a proven record of successful leadership and a passion to help lead change across the club. 

"It is our stated ambition to re-establish Manchester United as a title-winning club. We are pleased that Omar will be joining us to help achieve that goal, so that, once again, United fans can see, in the words of Matt Busby, the red flag flying high at the summit of English, European and world football.

 "Omar's start date will be confirmed in due course. In the meantime, Patrick Stewart will continue as interim CEO."

The news will come as a blow to City with Berrada reportedly long viewed by senior figures at the Etihad as a potential successor to director of football Txiki Begiristain.

For United, it is the first time they have externally hired a CEO with Arnold and predecessors Ed Woodward, David Gill, Peter Kenyon and Martin Edwards all having been promoted internally.