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It has finally been confirmed that an agreement between United and Newcastle has been met for Dan Ashworth to end his garden leave and start in the sporting director role at Old Trafford.
The controversy around Ashworth’s appointment at United can finally come to a close, with Ashworth set to start work at United immediately, with incoming CEO Omar Berrada set to start on 13th July, moving from Manchester City as the most recent significant member of staff to convert from blue to red.
Although it was expected that an independent review was going to be needed in order to release Ashworth from his contract sooner than Sir Jim Ratcliffe was expecting, bracing for a start date of late 2025, the two Premier League clubs seem to have come to an agreement.
This marks the final piece of the puzzle slotting into place for Ratcliffe’s senor staff at Old Trafford, undertaking a massive reshuffle of the club.
In June, Berrada was in attendance at the EU Business School’s commencement ceremony held in Barcelona, where another attendee discussed the situation at United, sharing his conversation with the new Red Devils CEO on LinkedIn.
The other attendee in question is Marc Guerrero who holds the position of President of Ginteco, the international trading and strategic consultancy firm.
Guerrero praised Berrada as “one of the most experienced football executives at the top of European football” and explained that Berrada had discussed with United the importance of not overpaying in the transfer market and how having the right structure throughout the club can ensure success on the pitch.
Geurrero’s LinkedIn post read: “For him implementing the correct structure at the club is key to the team’s success. He also warns overpaying clubs, players and agents in the transfer market can lead to teams finding themselves on a “slippery slope”.”
This is where Ashworth’s expertise comes in, with the new sporting director being best know for identifying and assessing the value of top talents.
This principle seems to be already at play, with United unwilling to crumble to Everton’s demands of £80 million for Jarrad Branthwaite, despite the 22-year-old being the favourite option to redesign the defence around this summer.
