Dan Ashworth’s tenure as Newcastle United’s sporting director has ended far earlier than expected.
He was recruited in by PIF to manage this fascinating project at St James’ Park, but he is leaving after less than two years.
The 52-year-old is now on gardening leave ahead of his move to Manchester United. Dan Ashworth is on his way to Old Trafford, but it is unknown when he will start work there. That will depend on if Newcastle and Manchester United can reach an agreement on a compensation deal.
The Magpies are seeking a £20 million agreement; else, Ashworth may not be allowed to join Manchester United until early 2026.
The ball is in Manchester United’s court, while Newcastle searches for Ashworth’s replacement. Throughout this process, they will consider what the former Brighton player did well on Tyneside and where he could have improved.
And, according to the Athletic, Newcastle United has identified one source of disappointment.
Newcastle intended to make more money by selling players.
According to the Athletic, it is disappointing that Ashworth was unable to increase money through player sales during his tenure as Toon sporting director.
During his tenure, two notable exits occurred. Chris Wood joined Nottingham Forest for £15 million, and Allan Saint-Maximin signed for Al Ahli for £23 million.
However, these are the only major departures. That is despite Newcastle’s pressing need to sell in January to reinvest owing to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability requirements.
Ashworth has long stressed the significance of player trade, but he has struggled to do so at St James’ Park.
In defense of Dan Ashworth.
However, I shall come to his defence. You must have sellable assets, and one could argue that Ashworth lacked many that Eddie Howe could afford to lose.
For example, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson were connected with departures in January. However, selling them would have been disastrous if a replacement did not emerge, and there was no guarantee of that considering how unpredictable the January transfer window can be.
However, this difficulty originates from a problem that the new owners inherited. They took over a group of players, many of whom should have been moved on by now. They are now a little older and much more difficult to sell, particularly for a significant sum of money.
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