Dan Ashworth has left his role as Manchester United sporting director after just five months.
Ashworth officially joined United on July 1 after a lengthy period of gardening leave at former club Newcastle United, but the transition has not been smooth and his exit has been decided upon.
Ashworth’s departure was agreed in a meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada at Old Trafford after United’s Premier League game with Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been pivotal to the call to part ways, in a move that will stun staff at United given Ashworth’s prominence in trying to reshape the club.
Multiple sources, speaking anonymously like others in this story to protect relationships, say United instigated the separation. The club say the final agreement to end Ashworth’s contract was mutual.
The new Ratcliffe-led hierarchy, overseen by Sir Dave Brailsford, had placed Ashworth in overall charge of football performance, recruitment and operations, with Jason Wilcox, also a new arrival, reporting to him as technical director.
Ashworth himself reported into Berrada, who arrived in the summer from rivals Manchester City.
All the executives were across the decision to keep Erik ten Hag as manager, with Ashworth quoted on the official announcement of the Dutchman’s extended contract in June.
Ashworth was also involved in a summer of heavy spending at Old Trafford, which included the arrivals of Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee in an outlay of around £200million ($280m). Ashworth was quoted on the confirmation of each signing.
Ashworth played a key role in United’s summer recruitment (Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)
He was a voice in Ten Hag’s dismissal in October too, but there were no words from any executives to accompany the appointment of Ruben Amorim, with Berrada a driving force behind that appointment.
Ratcliffe is on record praising Ashworth. “Dan Ashworth is clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world,” said United’s co-owner in February. “I have no doubt he is a very capable person. He is interested in Manchester United because it’s the biggest challenge at the biggest club in the world. It would be different at City because you’re maintaining a level. Here it’s a significant rebuilding job. He would be a very good addition.”
But the reality has been more difficult, prompting a sudden separation. It leaves United searching for a major hole to fill into a structure that is still fairly new.
Ashworth’s appointment had come at the end of extensive negotiations, with the 53-year-old having informed Newcastle he wanted to leave for Manchester United in February. As negotiations stalled it was reported he intended to take his former employers to arbitration to facilitate the move before a resolution was eventually reached.
Newcastle had been seeking as much as £20m in compensation for him with Manchester United always unwilling to meet that figure. In the end a fee of around £2m to £3m was agreed.
Ashworth had joined Newcastle United after resigning from his post as technical director at Brighton & Hove Albion in February 2022.
He moved to Brighton in 2019 following a spell as technical director at the Football Association (FA) — where he started in 2012 after time with West Bromwich Albion — and helped develop the men’s and women’s national teams.
During his time with the FA Ashworth was credited with playing an influential role in England’s World Cup victories at under-17 and under-20 level in 2017.
Additional reporting from Adam Crafton.
‘An embarrassing exit for all concerned’
Analysis by Manchester United correspondent Laurie Whitwell
This is a hugely significant development that will cause reverberations at United. Ashworth was held up as an example of the new INEOS leadership getting best in class operators, so to concede it as a mistake less than half a year into the relationship strikes as embarrassing for all concerned.
The sudden departure is one thing, but then there are the lengths United went to secure him. Ashworth has ended up working as many months at United (July to December) as the club waited to get him through the door (February to July).
The compensation fee to Newcastle stood at between £2m to £3m, a figure that is notable when set against the reported £1.5m in raised revenues from United hiking ticket prices for the rest of this season.
What it shows is that Ratcliffe is not prepared to wait around if something is not working to his mind. But a departure at this early stage inevitably brings into question his judgement in the first place.
Dan Ashworth United timeline
February 2024 – Ashworth informs Newcastle he has been approached by Manchester United to become their sporting director, two months after INEOS’ investment. He is placed on gardening leave with Newcastle seeking up to £20m in compensation. Ratcliffe calls Newcastle’s stance “absurd” and “completely stupid”.
April 2024 – The Athletic reports Ashworth intends to take Newcastle to arbitration to facilitate his move to Manchester United, with the Old Trafford club prepared to cover his legal costs.
May/June 2024 – Manchester United contemplate sacking manager Erik ten Hag and speak to potential replacements before deciding to retain the Dutchman. Ashworth is not yet in post but The Athletic reports he is “kept in the loop” over the process.
July 2024 – Manchester United agree compensation deal with Newcastle. Ashworth officially begins work as sporting director.
August 2024 – Manchester United spend about £205m including add-ons and bring in about £112m including possible bonuses in Ashworth’s first summer transfer window.
September 2024 – Before United’s 3-0 defeat by Liverpool, Ashworth tells reporters he played no role “whatsoever” in retaining Ten Hag during a joint interview with Berrada, who says Ten Hag has “our full backing”.
October 2024 – Ten Hag is sacked by United with the club 14th in the Premier League. Berrada and Ashworth tell Ten Hag of his dismissal, having discussed a possible change with the club’s executive committee earlier in the month.
November 2024 – Amorim is appointed as United’s new head coach. “I feel the connection with the people in the club, and that is very important for me because I want to work with people I like. Sir Jim and Sir Dave, but especially Omar, Dan and Jason,” Amorim says.
December 2024 – Ashworth leaves United.
Who runs United?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner
The main voice leading United. He has prompted the 250 staff redundancies and cost-cutting, and wants to be across all major decisions at the club, including those on football.
United have a much-changed herarchy (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Joel Glazer, co-owner
Has taken a back seat since INEOS’ arrival, but he has attended executive committee (ExCo) meetings, including the one in London in October that influenced Erik ten Hag’s future.
Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS director of sport
Tasked with bringing together the sporting operation, he was the most visible presence around the club at the end of last season. He has stepped back but was involved in picking Ruben Amorim.
Jean-Claude Blanc, CEO of INEOS Sport
Acted as United’s interim chief executive at the start of this year, and has since become the club’s representative in the corridors of power at the European Club Association.
Omar Berrada, chief executive
Hired from rivals Manchester City in a move seen as a coup, he has both a sporting and commercial outlook — meeting regular staff and engaging directly with the football team.
Jason Wilcox, technical director
Was the first new appointment to begin officially in April, and has since been a regular at Carrington to observe training and support the head coach. Also involved in transfers.
Christopher Vivell, interim director of recruitment
Initially appointed on a temporary basis, he may see his role on signings increase and become permanent with Ashworth’s departure. His European network is respected.
(Top photo: Oli Scarff / AFP)
