Manchester United and Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed Dan Ashworth was "clearly one of the best sporting directors in the world" during Manchester United's negotiations with Newcastle United (Image: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Manchester United have effectively paid Newcastle United around £19,000 per day in compensation for Dan Ashworth to work as their sporting director over the last five months.
United officially approached Newcastle over Ashworth in mid-February, but that was only the beginning of a protracted departure that took four and a half months to become official. The former Brighton and Hove Albion and West Bromwich Albion technical director requested his release around the same time as that approach; in response, Newcastle placed Ashworth on gardening leave.
They then reportedly sought a fee as high as £20million from United to buy out his contract. The Reds ultimately paid around £3million, and months of negotiations between the two clubs eventually ended on 1 July.
READ MORE: Manchester United break silence on Dan Ashworth departure with 41-word statement
READ MORE: Dan Ashworth makes stunning exit from Manchester United after five months
Now, 160 days later, United have announced Ashworth's impending departure by mutual agreement. The compensation averages out at around £19,000 per day, but that does not include whatever wage they paid him or the fee to end his contract after just five months.
A fee was also required to recruit technical director Jason Wilcox from Southampton in mid-April. However, appointing chief executive Omar Berrada at the start of this year did not, as he resigned from his role at Manchester City.
Ashworth belatedly joining the club this summer after those arrivals had appeared to complete the restructured leadership team. But that move has become another costly mistake for a club that has now raised matchday ticket prices midseason despite sitting in 13th place in the Premier League table after a third defeat of the season at Old Trafford.
United have already spent around £10.4million compensating Erik Ten Hag and his coaching staff: Jelle ten Rouwelaar, Pieter Morel, Rene Hake and Ruud van Nistelrooy. United also spent around £11million appointing Ruben Amorim and his backroom team of Adelio Candido, Carlos Fernandes, Eduardo Rosalino, Emanuel Ferro, Jorge Vital and Paulo Barreira.