Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth.
Dan Ashworth lasted just five months at Old Trafford
Manchester United have split with Dan Ashworth a mere five months after spending millions to lure him from Newcastle United.
The sporting director has departed the Premier League club following United's disappointing 3-2 home defeat by Nottingham Forest on Saturday. His departure was agreed upon in a meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada following the loss.
Ashworth officially joined United on July 1, after an extended gardening leave period at his former club Newcastle, with the Red Devils agreeing to a compensation package estimated at around £2-£3million.
READ MORE: I saw Dan Ashworth get escorted out of Old Trafford after leaving Manchester United
READ MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe promised to stop Manchester United chaos - but nothing has changed at Old Trafford
The final sum received by the Magpies was a far cry from the initial £20m they demanded to release Ashworth, but this figure was quickly reduced to £10m due to the club's PSR issues.
United remained firm on not paying these high amounts, eventually settling on a significantly smaller figure, which allowed the former England chief to commence his new role in Manchester, reports the Mirror.
Ashworth played a crucial part in United's recruitment over the summer, which saw the club spend £200m on Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
However, slow starts from players like Zirkzee, Ugarte, and De Ligt have led to criticism of United's transfer dealings, a common theme at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.
The future of Manchester United's sporting director role remains uncertain as Ashworth's early departure raises questions about further compensation and his successor. The club may face a hefty bill, with Ratcliffe potentially having to dig deep to amend this high-profile error.
Manchester United issued a brief statement regarding Ashworth's exit: "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."
Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this season.
Ratcliffe's approval of Ashworth's departure marks a stark contrast to his earlier commendations. In February, United's co-owner lauded Ashworth, saying: "Dan Ashworth is clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world, 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."