One of Britain’s top boardroom headhunters is to oversee the search for a new chairman of the Premier League as a recruitment process gathers pace five months after the role’s last incumbent resigned.

Sky News has learnt that MWM Consulting, which was set up by the veteran search consultant Anna Mann, has been charged with identifying a successor to Gary Hoffman.

The Premier League has said that it aims to have a new chair in place before the start of next season, leaving it less than four months to finalise an appointment to one of the most powerful posts in British sport.

Mr Hoffman, a former Barclays executive who helped keep Northern Rock alive after its nationalisation during the 2008 banking crisis, resigned in November amid dissatisfaction among a number of clubs with the Premier League’s handling of the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United.

He had only been in the role for 18 months.

In January, English football’s top flight named Peter McCormick as interim chair.

Mr McCormick, who also chairs the Premier League’s football board and legal advisory groups, also held the interim chairmanship of the Football Association prior to Debbie Hewitt’s arrival several months ago.

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The search for a new chair comes as the Premier League awaits the government’s response to former sports minister Tracey Crouch’s report on English football governance.

Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, was last week reported to have written to Boris Johnson to back Ms Crouch’s proposal for a fully independent football regulator.

A Premier League spokesman declined to comment on MWM’s appointment.

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