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It’s coming to light that Dan Ashworth attempted to cover his tracks, deleting incriminating emails that he’d sent to his Newcastle account, accidentally revealing his conversations with Omar Berrada, the incoming chief executive of Manchester United, requesting the sporting director role at United.
Reported by Daily Mail Sport, Ashworth accidentally blind copied his Newcastle email address before realising his mistake and deleting the evidence, however at this stage the Red Devils had not approached Newcastle and Ashworth was yet to make his employers aware of the secret talks with another club.
The discovery by the club of the email could lead to a Premier League investigation if a complaint is made, with Berrada on gardening leave from Manchester City.
We also now know thanks to the report , that Ashworth went on to claim that Eddie Howe had made comments which supposedly made Ashworth’s position untenable, which was in relation to comments made a week after the exchange with Berrada back in February 2024. At this time the story of Ashworth wanting to move to Manchester United had broken and Eddie Howe was pressed for his thoughts at a press conference. Howe responded that he was concerned that Ashworth still had access to Newcastle’s financial data and transfer plans, with Howe wanting the situation to be rectified quickly.
These comments from Howe made Ashworth feel that he was unable to work for the club, however he had actually already accepted a deal with United.
On 18th February 2024, Ashworth made Newcastle aware of his wish to join Manchester United and was put on gardening leave, which Sir Jim Ratcliffe expects will expire in the later half of 2025, however Newcastle are waiting on an offer they deem acceptable to release Ashworth early.
The report continues that Ashworth believes that he has been unfairly put on gardening leave as ‘he was not asked to formally write down his resignation by chief Darren Eales and should not have been placed on gardening leave until he did so. He will therefore argue he was removed from his position rather than asking to step down’.
It has been reported that Ashworth is going to take Newcastle to arbitration in order to force the move, which is supposed o be a confidential process, however Newcastle and Manchester United are yet to comment.
