Manchester United are seeking a ‘supporter escalations executive’ as their controversial war on ticket touting rumbles on.

The Premier League giants have come under fire from sections of the fanbase amid a widespread clampdown - which some claim is unjust - led to 685 accounts banned and 464 supporters sanctioned or warned earlier this month.

And, in what would appear to be a ramping up of the operation, United have now created a full-time role which they say will manage a ‘high-volume caseload of complex investigations, sanctions, appeals and escalations’.

United insiders say that the role will deal with a range of wider issues rather than just touting. 

An advertisement for the post says the role is ‘key to support the club’s mission to tackle ticket touting’.

The successful candidate will need to balance ‘robust enforcement with empathy, transparency and consistent treatment’. They will also be tasked with using AI to analyse data and identify ‘patterns, trends, anomalies and opportunities for improvement’.

The move comes at a time when relations between the club and large sections of its fanbase appear fraught.

Previously, the Manchester United Supporters Trust questioned how United had gone about their crackdown.

'While there is widespread support among fans for tackling genuine ticket touting,’ a spokesperson said ‘that cannot justify treating suspicious digital behaviour as proof of touting, imposing severe sanctions without sufficiently compelling evidence, or expecting supporters to defend themselves without properly disclosing the allegation, evidence and specific rules they are said to have breached.

‘Considerable damage has been done to trust between the club and its supporters through this exercise.’

United have dismissed claims that the operation is an attempt to free up the number of tickets it can sell to overseas supporters at increased prices. Instead, they say the motivation is to provide more tickets for genuine fans.

Ahead of the Manchester derby, fans expressed their fury with co-owners the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with a banner reading ‘the way you treat us is a disgrace’ held aloft above the tunnel.

The Red Army supporters group also decided not to launch its usual flag display in the Stretford End at the match with City.