Dan Ashworth could make instant Premier League return following Manchester United departure
Dan Ashworth is a potential candidate to become Everton’s new sporting director, talkSPORT understands. Ashworth is back on the market following his shock exit from Manchester United last weekend after only five months. Ashworth only joined United earlier this year after leaving Newcastle The former Brighton and Newcastle supremo is believed to be held in high regard by incoming Everton owner Dan Friedkin. Kevin Thelwell is Everton’s current sporting director, but Roma chief Friedkin is likely to want to bring in his own people once his takeover is ratified by the Premier League later this month. Ashworth has also been touted as a potential replacement for Edu at Arsenal having previously worked with Gunners’ managing director Richard Garlick at West Brom. However Edu’s deputy Jason Ayto is in a good position to land the role full-time after stepping up as interim in the wake of the Brazilian’s exit. Other names on Arsenal’s list of options include Real Sociedad’s Roberto Olabe, who once signed manager Mikel Arteta. Ashworth only joined United on July 1, having been described by part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as ‘one of the top sporting directors in the world’. But it appears that his transition has not gone smoothly and his departure was announced a day after Saturday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest left United 13th in the table. A club 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 wish him well for the future.” Although United have described the decision as mutual, the manner and timing of Ashworth’s departure will likely raise more questions for Ratcliffe’s Ineos group. Ashworth left United on Sunday, but could be back in a job soonAFP Ashworth, together with the rest of the United hierarchy, was involved in the decision to offer former manager Erik ten Hag a new contract in the summer, having been quoted in the official announcement in June. However, Ten Hag was dismissed in October, with that contract extension contributing to a significant compensation bill of £10.4m, prior to the appointment of Ruben Amorim, who took charge last month after United paid around £11m to secure him from Sporting Lisbon. talkSPORT understands that Ashworth was keen on hiring Gareth Southgate to replace Ten Hag instead of Amorim. Incoming Everton owner Friedkin is also an admirer of Southgate. Ashworth also played a role in an expensive summer of recruitment, with the combined fees for Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Joshua Zirkzee amounting to approximately £200m. United spent around five months attempting to lure Ashworth from his previous position at Newcastle, with the 53-year-old going on gardening leave. However, Ineos must now seek to fill one of the most crucial roles at the club once again or consider altering the structure. Ashworth met with chief executive Omar Berrada after the final whistle on Saturday. He was seen quickly passing through the press conference room to another part of the stadium with chief operating officer Collette Roche. Ashworth was involved in Man United’s summer transfer businessGetty Sunday’s announcement comes one day after the release of an interview with Ratcliffe in the United We Stand fanzine, in which the 72-year-old admitted to having made “one or two errors” in terms of getting the right people in place at United. Referring to French club Nice and Swiss side Lausanne, also part of the Ineos sporting empire, Ratcliffe said: “If I hadn’t done Nice and Lausanne then we wouldn’t have come into United knowing that it’s quite a journey to get to the point where your antenna is working. “Our antenna wasn’t perfect at United and we’ve made one or two errors, but they’re a lot better than they would have been than if we’d not done Nice and Lausanne.” Man United are currently 13th in the Premier League, meanwhile Everton are just five points behind them in 15th. Simon Jordan’s verdict on Dan Ashworth Here’s former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT host Simon Jordan’s take on the situation. Lots of people in football have earned reputations or have gotten reputations they haven’t earned. I’m not suggesting that that’s false in that space for Dan Ashworth. I spoke to Eddie Howe about him the other day who was very diplomatically polite about him and spoke very well of him, but Dan Ashworth you know moves around with opportunities that suit Dan Ashworth. He landed upon the biggest opportunity of his career. This was the moment that I figured we’re going to see if this man is all he’s cracked up to be because it’s one thing doing it at Brighton and being successful at West Bromwich Albion and being successful on the rebuild under the anybody but Ashley regime that was in Newcastle. Ratcli
Dan Ashworth is a potential candidate to become Everton’s new sporting director, talkSPORT understands.
Ashworth is back on the market following his shock exit from Manchester United last weekend after only five months.
The former Brighton and Newcastle supremo is believed to be held in high regard by incoming Everton owner Dan Friedkin.
Kevin Thelwell is Everton’s current sporting director, but Roma chief Friedkin is likely to want to bring in his own people once his takeover is ratified by the Premier League later this month.
Ashworth has also been touted as a potential replacement for Edu at Arsenal having previously worked with Gunners’ managing director Richard Garlick at West Brom.
However Edu’s deputy Jason Ayto is in a good position to land the role full-time after stepping up as interim in the wake of the Brazilian’s exit.
Other names on Arsenal’s list of options include Real Sociedad’s Roberto Olabe, who once signed manager Mikel Arteta.
Ashworth only joined United on July 1, having been described by part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as ‘one of the top sporting directors in the world’.
But it appears that his transition has not gone smoothly and his departure was announced a day after Saturday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest left United 13th in the table.
A club 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 wish him well for the future.”
Although United have described the decision as mutual, the manner and timing of Ashworth’s departure will likely raise more questions for Ratcliffe’s Ineos group.
Ashworth, together with the rest of the United hierarchy, was involved in the decision to offer former manager Erik ten Hag a new contract in the summer, having been quoted in the official announcement in June.
However, Ten Hag was dismissed in October, with that contract extension contributing to a significant compensation bill of £10.4m, prior to the appointment of Ruben Amorim, who took charge last month after United paid around £11m to secure him from Sporting Lisbon.
talkSPORT understands that Ashworth was keen on hiring Gareth Southgate to replace Ten Hag instead of Amorim.
Incoming Everton owner Friedkin is also an admirer of Southgate.
Ashworth also played a role in an expensive summer of recruitment, with the combined fees for Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Joshua Zirkzee amounting to approximately £200m.
United spent around five months attempting to lure Ashworth from his previous position at Newcastle, with the 53-year-old going on gardening leave. However, Ineos must now seek to fill one of the most crucial roles at the club once again or consider altering the structure.
Ashworth met with chief executive Omar Berrada after the final whistle on Saturday. He was seen quickly passing through the press conference room to another part of the stadium with chief operating officer Collette Roche.
Sunday’s announcement comes one day after the release of an interview with Ratcliffe in the United We Stand fanzine, in which the 72-year-old admitted to having made “one or two errors” in terms of getting the right people in place at United.
Referring to French club Nice and Swiss side Lausanne, also part of the Ineos sporting empire, Ratcliffe said: “If I hadn’t done Nice and Lausanne then we wouldn’t have come into United knowing that it’s quite a journey to get to the point where your antenna is working.
“Our antenna wasn’t perfect at United and we’ve made one or two errors, but they’re a lot better than they would have been than if we’d not done Nice and Lausanne.”
Man United are currently 13th in the Premier League, meanwhile Everton are just five points behind them in 15th.
Simon Jordan’s verdict on Dan Ashworth
Here’s former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT host Simon Jordan’s take on the situation.
Lots of people in football have earned reputations or have gotten reputations they haven’t earned. I’m not suggesting that that’s false in that space for Dan Ashworth.
I spoke to Eddie Howe about him the other day who was very diplomatically polite about him and spoke very well of him, but Dan Ashworth you know moves around with opportunities that suit Dan Ashworth.
He landed upon the biggest opportunity of his career. This was the moment that I figured we’re going to see if this man is all he’s cracked up to be because it’s one thing doing it at Brighton and being successful at West Bromwich Albion and being successful on the rebuild under the anybody but Ashley regime that was in Newcastle.
It’s another thing landing in the biggest pond and five months into it for whatever reason, who knows why they parted, but I think if you’re going to get to it in commercial terms get to it quick and they’ve done that.
They spent a couple of million quid or whatever it was to get him out of his contract with Newcastle and people can say well that was profligacy.
Well they spent £35m on Donny van de Beek and to sold him for £500,000. People make decisions that are not necessarily the ones that they think they’re going to be.
It’s better to find it out quickly. If you don’t think that someone’s got the chops or the relationship isn’t right or the dynamic isn’t good enough or he isn’t what you thought he was going to be or the environment doesn’t suit or you just got a complete utter disconnect then make the decision and make it quick.
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