Manchester United have no intention of giving in to Newcastle’s huge compensation demands for Dan Ashworth and are willing to wait to get their man.
The 52-year-old has signed terms with the Red Devils and notified Newcastle that he intends to quit over the weekend, with the Magpies promptly placing him on gardening leave.
Ashworth’s notice term is expected to be up to two years, meaning United may not be able to recruit the former FA boss until 2026 – unless they can negotiate an agreement with Newcastle.
Newcastle, backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, are reportedly asking more than £20 million to release Ashworth early.
That would be the largest amount ever paid for a sporting director, but the Toon believe it is a reasonable price considering Ashworth’s profile, CV, intimate knowledge of the club’s inner workings, and the fact that they spent £5 million to lure him away from Brighton two years ago.
However, The Independent reports that United have no intention of paying £20 million and believe the price is ‘unrealistic’.
Instead, the club’s new minority owners, Ineos, who are directing the recruitment process behind the scenes, are willing to wait.
They believe Ashworth is the best guy for the job and that it is worth waiting a few months for the right choice rather than hiring someone else simply because it is more convenient.
But Ineos will not be kept hostage by Newcastle over the compensation price, and will try to negotiate it down, even if it means not getting Ashworth through the doors at Carrington right away.
Jean-Claude Blanc has led talks with Ashworth, but the appointment is said to be in line with the objectives of incoming CEO Omar Berrada, who is now on gardening leave from Manchester City until the summer.
United were initially concerned that Ashworth would reject them, so they devised a backup plan that would essentially split his function, resulting in linkages to Paul Mitchell.
However, now that they have reached an agreement, United will have a head of recruiting sit beneath him, with Brighton’s Sam Jewell the leading prospect.
Interestingly, despite having known Sir Dave Brailsford for several years, it has been alleged that the Ineos CEO preferred ex-Liverpool executive Julian Ward for the post, albeit Ashworth was finally chosen unanimously.
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