Chief scout Jim Lawlor and global scouting chief Marcel Bout are both leaving Manchester United after lengthy spells due to continued disappointment on the transfer market. Lawlor has been at Old Trafford for 16 years while Bout has been with the Premier League outfit for eight years and the Red Devils seem set to have Erik ten Hag arriving as manager this summer.

According to a United spokesperson, Bout has already left and Lawlor will depart in the summer after consecutive years of poor business: "Marcel Bout has departed from his role as head of global scouting after eight years with the club," the club announced.

"A respected figure within and outside of Manchester United, Marcel has played an important part as an assistant coach and in the strengthening of our scouting capabilities. Jim Lawlor has decided to step down from his role as chief scout in the summer after 16 years with the club. Jim played a key role in the development of multiple trophy-winning teams and was an important source of guidance to Sir Alex Ferguson and each of the managers who followed him."

Bout originally joined United as part of Louis van Gaal's staff back in 2014 before staying on and moving into his Global Scouting position two years later. Lawlor is perhaps best known for identifying Javier Hernandez as a United signing with the Mexico international a useful squad member during Sir Alex Ferguson's final years in charge.

Javier Ribalta also occupied a position within the club's scouting hierarchy but departed in 2018 after just a year in the role. Matt Judge is currently director of transfer negotiations while John Murtough occupies the football director role and Darren Fletcher the technical director position.

Ten Hag's imminent arrival from AFC Ajax is expected to see many changes made to the way United go about their business as they seek to reverse their steady decline since Ferguson's departure. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has already hinted at sweeping changes to the squad with the German still expected to take up some sort of directorial role at the end of this term.