Dan Ashworth: Newcastle place sporting director on gardening leave amid reported Manchester United interest

Newcastle United have placed sporting director Dan Ashworth on gardening leave amid reports of a proposed move to Premier League opponents Manchester United.

It is believed Ashworth is the next target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dave Brailsford of Ineos, whose 25% purchase of United is nearing completion.

Omar Berrada has already been brought in from rivals Manchester City as United’s new chief executive, and Ashworth now is strongly rumoured to become sporting director.

He may not be able to join the club immediately, however, as his contract with Newcastle reportedly stipulates that he can’t work for a rival club until 2026 unless there is monetary compensation.

"We are naturally disappointed that Dan has chosen to leave, however our exciting journey doesn't stop and the process to recruit a new sporting director will begin immediately," said Darren Eales, Newcastle United’s chief executive.

"We thank Dan for his efforts at Newcastle United and we wish him and his family well for the future."

Ashworth is widely regarded as one of the best sporting directors in football, and first established a relationship with Brailsford when he was working as the FA’s director of elite development, helping England’s youth teams to under-17 and under-20 World Cup titles in 2017.

He was then hired by Brighton as the club’s technical director in 2019, where he was involved in the hiring of Graham Potter and the rise of the team up the Premier League table.

Newcastle then appointed Ashworth as technical director in 2022 after the Saudi-led consortium takeover of the club was completed.

Ashworth was also required to complete gardening leave when he was hired by Newcastle, with Brighton’s chairman Tony Bloom saying the club was "extremely disappointed" to be losing him.

United manager Erik ten Hag commented on the speculation surrounding Ashworth earlier this week, denying that he had any involvement in the appointment of a sporting director.

"I'm here and I know in what construction I am working," he said. "And I'm very happy in this construction.

"So, I don't know anything about changes, and I talk with the new or foreseen sporting organisation but it's not up to me.

"I'm working and that is my focus point at this moment, on this team and we plan in this construction, in this organisation, for the future. So, we have a look.

"We closed the [transfer] window in January, we are working on the plans for the summer."

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.