Manchester United have reportedly agreed a deal which will bring Dan Ashworth to the Theatre of Dreams this summer. This has been something that has rumbled on in the background this summer with United and Newcastle United failing to agree on a compensation package.
Ashworth will become United new Sporting Director, joining a new team of directors which has been assembled by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the minority stakeholder of the club. This is great news for United as it means the Glazer family are not in charge of the club in footballing terms anymore.
United’s interest in Ashworth, who had been working for Newcastle since May 2022, is well into its fourth month as Ashworth was placed on gardening leave four months ago with the two clubs negotiating to reach a conclusion – but the compensation Newcastle wanted was high.
With the Sporting Director in gardening leave, the clubs decided to go for an independent hearing to reach a conclusion but now the move has been sanctioned. Newcastle wanted £20 million compensation for Ashworth to join United this summer, which United refused to pay.
Ashworth was set on taking Newcastle to arbitration to help facilitate his move to United, whist United were willing to help pay legal costs to speed up the move, which was reported by The Athletic. After Football Director John Murtough resigned, United needed to solve this problem.
David Ornstein of The Athletic took to X, formerly Twitter to confirm that United now had their man and that Ashworth was going to start at the club immediately; he stated:
“Manchester United agree deal with Newcastle United to appoint Dan Ashworth as sporting director. Move delayed by Manchester United and Newcastle United struggling to compromise on compensation package but switch now sanctioned and the 53-year-old is expected to start immediately”
It is great news for United, who will now have the hard task of stabilising the club this summer and helping to resurrect the club from the doldrums of the last decade and more since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the best manager the club has had in terms of success.
As the international transfer window has opened today too, it is a great day for all of this to start as United have a number of weeks before pre-season starts, where they will face Rosenborg, Rangers, Arsenal, Real Betis and Liverpool in Norway, Scotland and the United States of America.
Written by Paul
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