Manchester United have their new Sporting Director, in Dan Ashworth. Newcastle United have made the departure of Ashworth official, and now it remains to be seen how much money they can get out of Old Trafford, in return for letting him go. INEOS got their man, Dan Ashworth will be there to oversee the roster rebuild, but the question is when. And that will be determined once the two sides agree on a price.
According to The Guardian, Newcastle want £20 million, and United have baulked at the idea.
???? Newcastle confirm Dan Ashworth has now commenced a period of gardening leave.
CEO Darren Eales: “Our exciting journey doesn’t stop and the process to recruit a new director will begin immediately”.
??? Ashworth has agreed to join Man United. Talks on compensation, soon. pic.twitter.com/FF8hLc5kf5
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 19, 2024
Initially, it was thought that St. James Park would only demand £10 million, but all of it depends on when Ashworth would be freed of “gardening leave” to take his new gig. Gardening Leave means that Ashworth would stay get paid his full, and very high, salary to not be working. That would likely inspire Newcastle to get this matter resolved sooner.
As Louise Taylor wrote in The Guardian:
“In the absence of compensation being paid, Ashworth’s contract is believed to contain clauses that would prevent him from beginning a new role until early 2026.”
Ashworth, 52, joined Newcastle from Brighton & Hove Albion, who paid £5m for his services, in 2022.
According to ESPN, United are feeling pretty confident that they will be able to negotiate that exit fee down.
Their article on this today claims that MUFC will “look to pay a lower amount of compensation with Ashworth serving at least some gardening leave, possibly until February 2025.”
Stay tuned and watch this space, as the Sir Jim Ratcliffe makeover is really happening now.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.