Dan Ashworth: 53-year-old leaves Man Utd sporting director role just five months after arriving from Newcastle

8 December 2024, 09:09 | Updated: 9 December 2024, 08:33

Dan Ashworth will leave his role as Manchester United sporting director after just five months.

Ashworth officially started his role on July 1 after a lengthy period of gardening leave at Newcastle, but now parts ways following Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Ashworth was responsible for football performance and recruitment, reporting to new CEO Omar Berrada, who was hired from Manchester City.

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The 53-year-old leaves Man Utd having overseen a £200m summer spend on Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Light and Noussair Mazraoui.

During Ashworth's tenure, Erik ten Hag was sacked as Man Utd manager in October and replaced by Ruben Amorim - with it being reported at the time that Ashworth and Berrada led negotiations on appointing the Portuguese coach.

Ashworth also had successful spells at Brighton and the FA before Newcastle, and was seen as a statement appointment by minority owners INEOS, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe hailing him "one of the best sporting directors in the world".

A Man Utd statement said: "Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as sporting director of Manchester United by mutual agreement.

"We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future."

Analysis: Questions over INEOS' expensive decision making

Sky Sports News' senior reporter Melissa Reddy:

Significant questions will be raised over INEOS' leading of football operations at Manchester United following Dan Ashworth's departure from the club after just five months as sporting director.

The latest shock at Old Trafford, following on from the decision to keep Erik ten Hag, heavily back him in the summer window and then sack him 13 games into the season, will be another expensive exercise.

United paid £2m to £3m in compensation to Newcastle to secure Ashworth, whom they waited for longer than he was actually in post, and his exit will come at additional cost.

Amid mass redundancies and the hiking of ticket prices, the sentiment is growing that ordinary people are paying for the mistakes of the hierarchy - first the Glazers, and now under Sir Jim Ratcliffe's navigation.

Ashworth's appointment was held up as the 'best in class' approach that would underpin United's new structure.

While sources insist there was no major falling out but rather an agreement that the set-up was not working well, it is another embarrassing look for INEOS' decision-making.

They will counter that with Ten Hag and Ashworth they have been willing to back someone but have shown a decisive edge when it is apparent change is necessary.

Unlike developments around the Dutchman, the Ashworth news came from left field. However, there was a clue that he wasn't as involved as a sporting director should be.

It was CEO Omar Berrada that ran point on the identifying of Ruben Amorim as the club's new head coach, he undertook the negotiations with Sporting, made the pitch to the Portuguese, and was the one to welcome him to the training ground.

Ashworth has been described by some as a lot more passive than the other INEOS hires.

That is balanced by different sources feeling he hasn't had the time to get to grips with the scale of some areas - like the scouting operation - while dealing with a managerial change, the club-wide restructuring and the redevelopment of Carrington.

People close to Ashworth insist he was frozen out of key decision-making calls and his suggestions of collaboration along with how to enhance United's culture was ignored.

The opposite view is that he never commanded his role in the way Ratcliffe had wanted, with Berrada, Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell applying themselves better.

Whatever the case, INEOS have to show these are simply teething issues on account of implementing a new structure rather than a hugely costly habit of correcting their mistakes.

Ashworth's manic 10 months with Man Utd

February 2024 - Manchester United approach Newcastle for sporting director Dan Ashworth, as the Magpies place him on gardening leave. Sir Jim Ratcliffe publicly calls Ashworth "one of the best sporting directors in the world" and calls Newcastle's negotiation over the transfer chief's move "absurd".

May 2024 - It is revealed that Ashworth and new United chief executive Omar Berrada engaged in email conversations about moving to Manchester United while they were still employed by other Premier League clubs. Competition rules state that clubs and directors should behave towards each other with the "utmost good faith".

July 2024: Manchester United finally appoint Ashworth on July 1 - five months after their initial approach was revealed. Newcastle wanted to hold out for £20m in compensation but a compromise was met with United.

August 2024: The first summer transfer window with Ashworth's input comes to a close, with United spending over £200m on new players and bringing in over £110m in sales.

September 2024: After Man Utd are beaten 3-0 by Liverpool, Ashworth and Berrada reveal they had no input in the decision to keep Erik ten Hag over the summer. However, Ashworth says he has "really enjoyed working" with the Dutchman.

October 2024: Erik ten Hag is sacked by Manchester United after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham leaves them 14th in the Premier League.

November 2024: Man Utd appoint Ruben Amorim as Ten Hag's successor, with Berrada the key figure involved in the talks with Sporting over the Portuguese manager's move. United spent an extra €1m (£840,000) over his €10m (£8.37m) exit clause to secure Amorim early.

December 2024: Ashworth leaves United after a 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

(c) Sky Sports 2024: Dan Ashworth: 53-year-old leaves Man Utd sporting director role just five months after arriving from Newcastle