Recruitment chief Vivell set to leave Manchester United for Bayern Munich amid Old Trafford crisis

Christopher Vivell, Manchester United’s director of recruitment, is being lined up by Bayern Munich and is on the verge of leaving Old Trafford, according to a report from Sport Witness citing German sources. The news arrives as United endure one of their worst starts to a Premier League season in recent memory, with a single win from their opening nine league fixtures leaving them near the bottom of the table.

Vivell joined United ahead of the 2024/25 season on a short-term, interim basis before being handed the full-time director of recruitment role in February 2025. In that position he took on responsibility for global talent identification and squad-building under the INEOS-led regime. His tenure, though brief, had been considered significant in reshaping the club’s footballing structure.

His reported exit would come at a particularly damaging moment. United have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton and suffered a Champions League defeat away to Atlético Madrid. Manager Michael Carrick’s own future is described as hanging in the balance, with many expecting a change in the dugout before long.

The situation is further complicated by reported tensions within the football leadership team. Vivell and director of football Jason Wilcox are said to disagree over the succession plan should Carrick be formally dismissed. The club has reportedly shortlisted candidates including Julian Nagelsmann, Fabian Hurzeler, and Antonio Conte, but the inability to align on a common direction has, according to reports, worsened the internal crisis.

Vivell’s familiarity with Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund is understood to be a factor in the German club’s interest. Should he depart, United would face the prospect of rebuilding their recruitment department at the same time as potentially navigating another mid-season managerial change — a combination that threatens to set back the club’s longer-term planning under INEOS.

The reported unrest has not gone unnoticed in the dressing room. Defender Lisandro Martínez drew attention earlier this season with comments widely interpreted as an indirect criticism of the club’s leadership structure, adding a public dimension to what had previously been internal friction.