Cardiff City’s Head of Academy Recruitment Ben Clarke is poised to join Manchester United, according to a report by Football Insider.
Cardiff City are set to lose the staff member to the Premier League giants. He has been with the Championship side for the past six years.
Clarke, who holds a UEFA B license, has been identified by the Red Devils as someone to bolster their academy set-up behind the scenes.
Football Insider report he has ‘agreed terms’ with the Old Trafford club and is expected to make the switch.
Cardiff blow
Losing Clarke to Manchester United would be a blow for Cardiff. They would need to find a suitable replacement if he is to complete his exit soon.
He will leave behind a Bluebirds’ side who have started the season well under Turkish boss Erol Bulut. They are currently sat in 8th position in the table and are a point outside the play-offs after picking up 17 points from their first 11 outings.
Clarke studied at the University of South Wales and secured a BSc in Football Coaching and Development before completing a masters at the same institution in Advanced Performance Football Coaching.
He worked as an intern with the Republic of Ireland football association before taking his first steps into academy coaching with Swansea City in 2017.
Clarke had a spell as a Performance Analyst with the Wales international set-up before Cardiff brought him in as a youth coach.
He has since worked his way up to becoming Head of Academy recruitment during his time at the Cardiff City Stadium and has held his current role since August 2021. His work hasn’t gone unnoticed and he has emerged on the radar of Manchester United now.
Cardiff City need to revisit summer interest in Welsh international in January – Opinion
