Dan Ashworth passes 13 weeks mark in his garden as Newcastle United Sporting Director choice imminent


 
 
 
 
 
 

On Monday, it became exactly 13 weeks since Newcastle United officially announced that Dan Ashworth was on gardening leave.

Most importantly, the search then on for a new Newcastle United Sporting Director to be identified and appointed.

Last month, it was reported (see below) that Dan Ashworth was now looking to take the matter to arbitration, to speed up when he can start work at Old Trafford but with the usually very reliable Craig Hope giving some extra background info from his sources.

The man from The Mail saying his information was that the Newcastle United owners had never insisted on a figure of £15m-£20m to cut short Ashworth’s gardening leave.

Instead, it was Manchester United who had so far refused to go anywhere above £2m.

Now today Chris Waugh of The Athletic reporting – 21 May 2024:

“Development is expected on the sporting director front.

“Dougie Freedman and Johannes Spors have made the final two and Newcastle are still determining who will be handed the role to succeed Dan Ashworth, with the former expected to be their choice.

“Obviously Ashworth’s situation needs resolving too, given he is still employed by Newcastle, is on gardening leave and is involved in arbitration with the club as his protracted move to Manchester United drags on.”

Dougie Freedman at Crystal Palace has increasingly been talked about as the one most likely to replace Dan Ashworth, so interesting to see if we something soon on this front, as the man from The Athletic is indicating.

As for Dan Ashworth, for Newcastle United to go to all the hassle they went through to get Dan Ashworth to start work in June 2022 AND pay compensation to Brighton to allow that to happen. To put their trust in Ashworth as a key figure in the club’s revival and on a much enhanced salary, trust him with a lot of sensitive insider information including on key transfer targets, only for him to then bail out just a year and a half later and want to instantly start work at one of NUFC’s big rivals….

Hmmm, I don’t think £2m quite comes close to covering all of this, as adequate compensation.

I think we will eventually, via one route or another, get an outcome in place, whereby Dan Ashworth will start work at Man U after this summer’s transfer window and Newcastle United ending up with £5m+ compensation. I would expect a new Newcastle United Sporting Director to be announced, before then any official conclusion on the Dan Ashworth situation.

By my reckoning, I calculate that Dan Ashworth has already spent around eight months of the last twenty eight months on gardening leave from both Brighton and Newcastle United. If he was kept to his contractual NUFC gardening leave and didn’t start at Man U until January 2026, that would become 27 of 47 months spent in his garden…

The Mail report – 26 April 2024:

‘Dan Ashworth is set to take Newcastle to arbitration as he attempts to force through his proposed move to Manchester United.

However, we understand the Magpies have not demanded some of the figures being quoted – ranging from £15m to £20m – to release the sporting director from a period of gardening leave that runs until the end of 2025. Rather, they are waiting for Man United to make a reasonable offer, which so far has not gone far beyond £2m.

Newcastle’s search for Ashworth’s replacement, meanwhile, is gathering pace. As reported by Mail Sport on Thursday, Crystal Palace chief Dougie Freedman is one of those in the frame. It is thought he has the support of some key figures inside St James’ Park.’