Just a month out from their opening Women's Super League fixture, Manchester United find themselves without a head coach after Marc Skinner departed on Monday morning.
It may be that the decision to part ways with Skinner was made after a series of talks over the summer regarding the future direction of the club.
But the signs were there long before. Investment has been a contentious topic for the women's team ever since INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the club in December 2023.
He made his position on the team fairly clear when, in June 2024, he told Bloomberg: "We haven't gone into that level of detail with the women's football team yet. We've been pretty much focused on how do we resolve the first-team issues, in that environment, and that's been pretty full time for the first six months."
United defender Gabby George is closing in on a move to Brighton before the start of the Women's Super League season.
The 29-year-old has a year remaining on her contract after United activated an option clause in January.
It means Brighton are expected to pay a six-figure fee for the versatile defender, who joined United in 2023.
It is understood that George is seeking regular game time, and she would be a valuable addition to Brighton's ambitious squad.
During her three-year United stay, George has made more than 50 appearances and was part of the squad who won the Women's FA Cup in 2024.
George graduated from Everton's academy and played over 100 games for them before her move to United.
It may be that the decision to part ways with Skinner was made after a series of talks over the summer regarding the future direction of the club.
But the signs were there long before. Investment has been a contentious topic for the women's team ever since INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over the club in December 2023.
He made his position on the team fairly clear when, in June 2024, he told Bloomberg: "We haven't gone into that level of detail with the women's football team yet. We've been pretty much focused on how do we resolve the first-team issues, in that environment, and that's been pretty full time for the first six months."
United defender Gabby George is closing in on a move to Brighton before the start of the Women's Super League season.
The 29-year-old has a year remaining on her contract after United activated an option clause in January.
It means Brighton are expected to pay a six-figure fee for the versatile defender, who joined United in 2023.
It is understood that George is seeking regular game time, and she would be a valuable addition to Brighton's ambitious squad.
During her three-year United stay, George has made more than 50 appearances and was part of the squad who won the Women's FA Cup in 2024.
George graduated from Everton's academy and played over 100 games for them before her move to United.