Liverpool targets Manchester United’s Connor Hunter as new academy head

Liverpool is making a play to poach Connor Hunter from Manchester United, targeting the academy recruitment chief who has spent over eight years building his career at Old Trafford.

Hunter, who was promoted to Head of Academy Recruitment at Manchester United in February 2026, is now reportedly Liverpool’s top target to fill the vacancy left by the departing Chris Dowling. Transfer expert Pete O’Rourke first reported Liverpool’s interest, and the news has spread quickly among supporters of both clubs.

The executive they’re fighting over

Hunter’s resume at Manchester United reads like a case study in institutional knowledge. He joined the club in July 2017 and worked his way through several positions within the academy structure, including Pre-Academy Manager and lead phase scout, before landing the top recruitment job.

Manchester United initially looked outside the organization for Hunter’s predecessor, reportedly pursuing Paul Midgley as an external candidate before ultimately deciding to promote from within. That decision elevated Hunter to the role he now holds, one that Liverpool apparently finds attractive enough to attempt a raid on their fiercest rivals.

The timing is notable. Hunter has been in his current position for only a few months, which means Liverpool sees enough in his body of work across all his previous roles to make a move before he’s even had a full year in the top seat.

What this means for both clubs

For Manchester United, losing Hunter just months after promoting him would be an awkward outcome. The club chose internal continuity over external disruption when they passed on outside candidates, and now that continuity could walk out the door to Merseyside. They’d be forced to restart a search process they already went through once, potentially with a smaller pool of candidates who might be wary of taking a role that Liverpool just successfully raided.

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