Newcastle United did not want to lose Dan Ashworth, and Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said that he understands why the Magpies are unhappy.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe understands Newcastle United’s ‘upset’, but the Manchester United part-owner defends Dan Ashworth for ‘looking at the most sought position in football’.
Ashworth has been placed on gardening leave after alerting Newcastle that he intended to depart the club after only 20 months as sporting director. Darren Eales said that Newcastle is ‘naturally unhappy that Dan has opted to depart’ after the CEO had been ‘hopeful’ that the FA’s former head of elite development would continue.
Newcastle have wanted an eight-figure compensation charge of up to £20 million to end Ashworth’s lengthy notice period, and Sir Jim has claimed it is ‘absurd’ that the sporting director could’sit in his yard’ for nearly two years.
“Dan is a 10/10 sporting director,” he told BBC. “He’s one of the best sporting directors around, and he’d be a great fit for Manchester United in my opinion. It’s reasonable that someone like Dan, who is very good at his profession, would regard the Manchester United position as an exciting challenge at this point in his career.
Newcastle’s success under new ownership has been remarkable. The club has been managed exceptionally well, and it’s understandable that there may be some frustration regarding the Dan Ashworth situation. However, it’s hard to fault Dan for considering a prestigious position like sporting director, especially given the immense challenge at Manchester United. Over the past 11 years, United’s performance has been below expectations, and the task of elevating the club to the top of football is indeed a significant one.
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