Dan Ashworth
Dan Ashworth's departure was announced a day after Manchester United's 3-2 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest
Manchester United have parted ways with Dan Ashworth just five months after forking out millions of pounds to snag him away from Newcastle United.
The sporting director has left his role at the Premier League club following United's disappointing 3-2 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. After the loss, his exit was agreed upon in a meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada.
United officially welcomed Ashworth on July 1, following a lengthy period of gardening leave at former club Newcastle, with the Red Devils agreeing a compensation package worth around £2-£3million.
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The final fee the Magpies received was a far cry from the initial £20m they asked to prize Ashworth away, but that figure was soon slashed to £10m following the club's PSR troubles.
United remained insistent on not paying those high figures as they eventually agreed on a significantly smaller number, allowing the ex-England chief to begin his new role in Manchester.
Ashworth played a pivotal role in United's recruitment this past summer that saw the club splash out £200m on Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: Ruben Amorim the manager of Manchester United looks dejected after the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Old Trafford on December 07, 2024 in Manchester, England
Ashworth's departure comes less than a month since Ruben Amorim's arrival in Manchester
However, slow starts from the likes of Zirkzee, Ugarte, and De Ligt have seen United's transfer dealings criticised, which has been a regular occurrence at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Currently, it is not clear if Ashworth is due further compensation for his contract ending early or whether United intend to replace him with another candidate. Both options could be costly for the Red Devils, with Ratcliffe facing paying out even more to rectify this latest high-profile mistake.
The club released a short statement on Ashworth's departure which read: "Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as sporting director of Manchester United by mutual agreement. We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future."
Ratcliffe's signing off on Ashworth's exit certainly is a shift from the previous praise he showered him with ahead of his arrival at Manchester United. "Dan Ashworth is clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world," said United's co-owner in February.
"I have no doubt he is a very capable person. He is interested in Manchester United because it’s the biggest challenge at the biggest club in the world. It would be different at City because you’re maintaining a level. Here it’s a significant rebuilding job. He would be a very good addition."
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