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Arsenal could replace Edu after over a month since he left his role at the Emirates.
Manchester United have parted ways with Sporting Director Dan Ashworth after just five months in the post. Ashworth was responsible for much of United’s summer transfer business.
He had previously received plaudits for his success at Brighton, which earned him a job with Newcastle United. The Red Devils then paid the Magpies a seven-figure compensation fee to take Ashworth and appoint him as sporting director at Old Trafford.
It comes just over a month after Arsenal Sporting Director Edu decided to leave his job at the Emirates, following a successful spell alongside Mikel Arteta. The former Gunner was responsible for building much of Arteta’s current squad including major signings such as Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
The Gunners are yet to appoint a replacement for Edu and so could look at Ashworth as a possible option due to his former success at both Brighton and Newcastle.
However, he wasn’t without his failings at United. Ashworth was part of the hierarchy that decided to extend Erik ten Hag’s contract by a year following United’s FA Cup triumph last season, before sacking him less than four months into the 2024/25 campaign.
He was also partly responsible for United’s recruitment over the summer, in which they spent £200m on several signings including Matthijs De Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee, who are yet to impress at Old Trafford.
Ashworth was not part of the decision to appoint Amorim
A recent report by the Athletic has said that Ashworth and Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe disagreed on several decisions at the club.
It states that Ashworth had no part in United’s appointment of Ruben Amorim who replaced Ten Hag in November after a successful spell with Portuguese side Sporting CP.
They also state that the former United sporting director wanted either Eddie Howe or Graham Potter as replacements for Ten Hag, which is likely due to his connections to both managers having worked with them at Newcastle and Brighton.
Arsenal could appoint Ashworth as a replacement for Edu
Arsenal are yet to replace Edu after his departure last month, and Ashworth could now prove a worthy appointment for the Gunners.
Despite the perceived failure during his time at United, Ashworth remains a well-regarded Sporting Director. His success at Brighton shows that he can bring in players for a cheaper price, develop them, and sell for a profit.
The business model that Brighton have followed over the past 5-10 years has become one that several clubs aim to emulate Ashworth had a big role in their recruitment at the time.
It is clear that Arsenal aren’t far off winning a Premier League title. Bringing in an experienced replacement for Edu could help provide those couple of extra signings in January that could help Arteta’s side get over the line.