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4 months ago
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Monday afternoon has brought an official announcement from Newcastle United, confirming that an agreement has been reached on Dan Ashworth with Manchester United.
The former Newcastle United Sporting Director now a Manchester United employee.
David Ornstein has broken the story earlier today (see below).
So now Newcastle United confirming compensation agreed and the ‘immediate release’ of Dan Ashworth.
Newcastle United official announcement – 1 July 2024:
‘Newcastle United and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the immediate release of Dan Ashworth from his contractual obligations at Newcastle United.
The terms of this agreement will remain confidential between the clubs.
Newcastle United thanks Dan for his service and wishes him well for the future.’
The Mag report earlier today (Monday 1 July 2024):
Newcastle United and Manchester United have now agreed a deal on Dan Ashworth.
Yet another exclusive from David Ornstein at The Athletic.
He says that his information is that with compensation now agreed, Dan Ashworth can start work at Old Trafford with immediate effect.
Dan Ashworth was put on gardening leave exactly 19 weeks ago today, after he told Newcastle United he wanted to move to Manchester United.
This followed reports of an unprofessional direct approach to Dan Ashworth from Man U, rather than doing the professional thing and contacting Newcastle United and asking for permission to speak to the NUFC Sporting Director.
This was just the start of incredibly embarrassing behaviour from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United.
Instead of doing things in a fit and proper way, negotiating a settlement with Newcastle United, Ratcliffe instead got friendly journalists to run stories quoting him, claiming Newcastle United were the ones being unprofessional and not doing things in a proper fashion!
Whilst wild claims were made of Newcastle United demanding £20m, it was actually Ratcliffe and Man U refusing to pay more than £2m that held up the Dan Ashworth official departure.
Dan Ashworth was looking at a contractual gardening leave period stretching to January 2026 but now finally it appears Manchester United have made an acceptable offer to Newcastle United.
Following David Ornstein’s exclusive, other media are linking this Dan Ashworth agreement with Newcastle United’s need to bring money in to satisfy PSR by the 30 June 2024 deadline. However, Ornstein himself makes no mention at all of this, with the sales of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson for reported combined transfer fees of £68m said to have satisfied the PSR situation.
David Ornstein report for The Athletic – 1 July 2024:
‘Manchester United have agreed a deal with Newcastle United to appoint Dan Ashworth as their sporting director.
Ashworth’s move to Old Trafford was delayed by the clubs struggling to compromise on a compensation package.
But more than four months after he was placed on gardening leave and it looked as though an independent hearing would be needed to break the deadlock, Ashworth’s switch has now been sanctioned.’

 
