Sport
Share
19th February 2024
11:18am GMT
Newcastle have placed sporting director Dan Ashworth on gardening leave after he told the club he wants to join Manchester United.
United have targeted Ashworth - who has been instrumental in Newcastle's success - to help revolutionise the club following INEOS purchase of a minority stake in the club.
As revealed by the BBC, Ashworth is under contract until 2025 and can't leave until a compensation fee has been agreed.
Talks between the two clubs have yet to get underway.
Sporting directors have become all the rage in recent years and Ashworth is certainly regarded as one of the best in the business.
Reports last week said that the 52-year-old has a database that contains details on every player.
Given his importance to the club, the Magpies want a fee of over £10m in order to part ways with their prized asset.
Ashworth is supposedly keen to make the move to Old Trafford and has a strong relationship with Ineos head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford from his time in a previous role at the Football Association.
Having already appointed Omar Berrada as the club's chief executive earlier this year, bringing Ashworth in would be another almighty coup for Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Transfers have been a huge problem in the past for the Red Devils, spending extortionate sums on players who have failed to live up to the price tag.
In his time at Brighton and Newcastle, Ashworth forged a reputation for unearthing gems that would prove to be a suitable fit for those respective clubs.
While United have shown steady improvement in recent weeks, they are still a long way off from being at their absolute best but if brought in, Ashworth may help propel the club back to the glory days of titles and trophies.
Related links:
Explore more on these topics:
Sport
Sport
Sport
Sport
Sport
Sport