Former
Manchester United midfielder Jordi Cruyff will leave his position as
Barcelona sporting director this summer after nearly two years in the
Job. Cruyff, son of Dutch legend Johan, spent four years at United from 1996 to 2000 after being signed by Sir Alex Ferguson. Largely a squad player during his four seasons at Old Trafford, Cruyff scored eight goals in 58 games. In that time, the attacking midfielder won the
Premier League and the Charity Shield twice. His United career was bookended by a loan spell at Celta Vigo in the second half of the 1998/99 season, meaning that his missed out on the club's famous treble achievement of that campaign. READ MORE: Man United's remaining Premier League fixtures compared with Newcastle,
Liverpool FC and rivals Since retiring from playing in 2010, Cruyff has spent his time in
Football administration roles. The most recent of these have been at Barcelona, where he also had a spell as a player before he moved to United. Cruyff joined the Camp Nou side from Chinese club Shenzhen FC in September 2021, where he has been sporting director. However, he will not be renewing his contract this summer as he now seeks to embark on 'new professional endeavours'. A club statement said: "He announced his decision this Tuesday morning to president Joan Laporta at an emotional meeting in which he explained that after two years in his position, he is leaving to face new challenges. "Cruyff has said that he is committed to assisting the club in its transition towards a new executive structure, and will be offering his full support with the closure of outstanding operations in the summer transfer market. "He also most sincerely thanked the president for his trust and for offering him the chance to come FC Barcelona two years ago. "In his two seasons here, Cruyff has played an important role in the reconstruction of the first team with some extremely wise decisions. He has also shown a fine capacity for forging good relationships with the club's coaching staff. "FC Barcelona wishes to thank Jordi Cruyff for his important contributions as a member of the Sports Commission and wishes him all the very best of fortune in his future professional career." Get your hands on our 48-page souvenir United v City FA Cup Final print supplement by clicking here . READ MORE: Fernandes comments show who next captain should be United in discussions with Bayern after Sabitzer injury Amad and Garnacho could change transfer plans United set to release five players this summer All the latest United news and views