In their pursuit of the crucial position of sporting director, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United have set their eyes on Dan Ashworth, who is currently contracted to Newcastle.
There has been talk that Manchester United are intending to formally contact Ashworth. The 52-year-old is now responsible for helping Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe discover potential transfer targets.
Ashworth has been quite close to the Magpies since joining the club two years ago in the role of sports director. He understands that money isn’t his driving force, but he still values United’s prestige. This is according to The Guardian, who also note that he wants to become a part of the club’s revitalization effort.
The Englishman would only seriously consider leaving Newcastle for a position as head of the department at Old Trafford. Regardless, he needs United to promise him the same amount of freedom he has at Newcastle.
What did Eddie Howe say of Ashworth’s possible exit?
Manchester United fans are anticipating changes behind the scenes now that INEOS is an investor in the club. So, by appointing Omar Berrada as the new CEO, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has shown his intention to restore the Red Devils’ success.
The new 25 percent stake owner managed to convince Berrada to leave his post as chief operations manager at Manchester City. This is what reportedly really wowed Ashworth, and he could end up moving to Old Trafford as well.
This creates a huge dilemma for the higher-ups at St. James’ Park. To begin, they would need to find a new director, since he is among England’s finest. Worse still, they may be handing up their trade secrets to an angry Premier League opponent.
Dan Ashworth will need to be patient as Manchester United negotiate terms of his release with Newcastle United, who won’t want to be seen as pushovers under the Saudi-state regime
Eddie Howe expressed his desire for a quick resolution to the matter when questioned about it. The head coach wasted no time in recognizing Ashworth’s contribution to Newcastle’s recent success.
Yet, he did concede that there were worries about their directors going to a direct opponent. “We want a quick resolution. It’s better for everybody if that’s the case”, he said.
To this day, Ashworth has remained mum on the subject of his future intentions. Nevertheless, when questioned whether the ex-Brighton chief had expressed a desire to remain, the manager of Newcastle responded with a “no.”
Jim Ratcliffe to set ambitious United budget for Dan Ashworth revealed
Football Insider reports that Old Trafford might give Ashworth a budget of $567 million. In doing so, they want to restore Manchester United’s status as a footballing powerhouse in England and Europe.
The Premier League met with all 20 top-flight teams last week to discuss new financial regulations; by the time he joins United, these rules may have been finalized.
The Red Devils had been forced to cut down on transfer expenditure because of the Profit and Sustainability Rules. However, new laws would give Ashworth a vast budget. Similarly to UEFA’s proposal, the league has suggested new rules that would limit expenditure to no more than 70 percent of a club’s total income.
In the 2022-23 season, the club reported a record income of $817 million. In other words, they might spend as much as $567 million on salaries, transfers, and agency fees.
Photo credits: IMAGO / PA Images : IMAGO / PA Images
