Manchester United has officially appointed Dan Ashworth as their new sporting director, following an agreement with Newcastle United.
In a joint statement on Monday, the clubs announced that Ashworth is no longer bound by his contract at St James’ Park. Earlier this year, Newcastle had placed Ashworth on gardening leave after he expressed interest in joining Manchester United.
While the specific details of the compensation were not revealed, it’s understood that Ashworth will start his new role at Old Trafford immediately.
The statement read: “Newcastle United and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the immediate release of Dan Ashworth from his contractual obligations at Newcastle United. The terms of this agreement remain confidential between the clubs. Newcastle United thanks Dan for his services and wishes him well for the future.”
Manchester United’s interest in Ashworth grew after Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS company bought a minority stake in the club and took over football operations.
There were rumors that Newcastle was asking for £20 million ($25 million) in compensation, a figure Jim Ratcliffe called “a bit silly.” Eventually, the two clubs reached a compromise.
Ashworth, who was previously the technical director at the Football Association, is part of a larger shake-up at Manchester United. Omar Berrada is coming over from Manchester City as the new chief executive, and Jason Wilcox, who was with Southampton, is the new technical director.
Earlier this year, Ratcliffe praised Ashworth, saying, “I think Dan Ashworth is clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world. I’ve no doubt he’s a very, very capable person. And he’s interested in the Manchester United job because it’s probably the biggest sporting director job in the world just now, with the biggest challenge.”
Last season, Manchester United had a tough time but ended on a high note by winning the FA Cup against Manchester City. Despite the challenges, manager Erik ten Hag is staying on and gearing up for his third season with the team.
