Dan Ashworth is set to depart from his position as Manchester United’s sporting director after just five months in the role. The club had brought Ashworth in with significant fanfare and expense from Newcastle, but a mutual decision has been reached to end his tenure. Discussions took place between Ashworth and chief executive Omar Berrada following the loss to Nottingham Forest, which left United in 13th place in the league. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the minority owner, subsequently approved Ashworth’s exit.
Ashworth was a primary target for the new regime under Ratcliffe and required a seven-figure compensation fee to be paid to Newcastle to secure his services. The former Football Association technical director was tasked with overseeing performance and recruitment at United. However, he only managed to oversee one transfer window, during which £200m was spent on several signings, including Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte.
The 53-year-old arrived with high expectations, following his successful stints at Brighton, the FA, and Newcastle. Nevertheless, the challenging circumstances United currently face have made it difficult to replicate that success. Further details are expected to be released soon.
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