It was a stunning revelation to learn that Dan Ashworth would be leaving his role at Manchester United. Having only arrived this year following a long process in buying him out of his contract at Newcastle, they have now parted ways.
A Man Utd statement said: "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."
Clubs like Arsenal who also have parted ways with their leader of recruitment and strategy Edu Gaspar will surely have been equally as surprised by the call. Perhaps unsurprisingly though, reports suggest that the Gunners will consider Ashworth as a potential replacement for Edu.
So far the leading candidate appeared to be Real Sociedad’s Roberto Olabe. Yet, the Gunners are known for their opportunistic approach to transfers, and it may be the same method is followed with this appointment.
Prior to his move to United and the widely scrutinised summer transfer window, Ashworth was regarded as one of the country’s top profiles in terms of talent identification and squad building. His work at Brighton and Newcastle has been lauded and earned him the move to Old Trafford.
The question Arsenal fans have is would he suit a role in north London? The best place to start is to look at his successes with the aforementioned pair of Premier League sides.
His early signings on the South Coast included the likes of Adam Webster, Leandro Trossard and Tariq Lamptey who became key members of the squad – Lamptey still so despite his tiny transfer fee. Trossard also became a key figure and has since gone on to sign for Arsenal and establish himself in the first team setup.
The following year saw the arrival of highly sought-after Moises Caicedo and the rest is history there. In addition were two other players who are even now regulars in the Seagulls team: Joel Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke – Danny Welbeck signed on a free transfer has also been a massive success.
In his final season, Ashworth brought Enock Mwepu, a talented player whose career was cut short due to heart concerns, Marc Cucurella, a now Euro winner and Chelsea starter, Kaoru Mitoma and Denis Undav. While the German striker may not have worked at Brighton, it is evident what talent was seen as he has since become a frequent goal-scorer in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart while the Japanese winger has been one of the most appreciated cheap signings of the past three years in the Premier League.
He would also succeed in getting a record fee for Ben White, kicking off a chain of major sales from the club. There were also a lot of other cheap deals which after not often mentioned, which are ultimately forgotten about among the wider successes and so the move to Newcastle would always test how Ashworth would adapt to a step up in terms of a club seeking Champions League participation.
In his first summer, he signed Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, two players who are without question big successes on Tyneside. Sven Botman too another very good player but who sadly injuries have plagued his career in the northeast.
Nick Pope has too been an astute acquisition while Matt Targett less so. Harrison Ashby’s arrival from West Ham was seen as something of a coup but so far his loan moves have not bore the fruit the Magpies perhaps expected.
It was worth noting that Ashworth’s critics at Newcastle feel the deals for Isak and Gordon in particular were somewhat in the pipeline before he arrived. He simply got them over the line in the summer.
Fan writer Matt Renton wrote for the BBC in February amid Ashworth’s then-known desire to switch to Manchester: “I have to say, and this on the back of what Eddie Howe said in his news conference, Ashworth's impact at post-takeover Newcastle is not that influential, mainly down to not being here long enough to see the fruits of his labour. Less than two years as the sporting director has hardly given him time to have a lasting impact.
"If this is his work, then cash in and allow him to leave. Many mistaken social media accounts claim he is responsible for signing top talents such as Bruno Guimaraes (who actually arrived before Ashworth). And yes, he had a part to play in Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon joining, but they had been scouted by the Magpies for a long time, as well as the owners and Howe's nephew, Andy, playing a pivotal role in transfer negotiations.
"If Ashworth is the main man with transfers, then it has to be said his current work has failed.”
Quite the damning indictment of Ashworth indeed, even if you can detect an edge of dismay in the former director’s decision to move on so soon after his arrival. But Renton has a point, despite the restrictions on spending, ultimately Newcastle have regressed since their impressive top-four finish and do not look like recovering.
Aston Villa have certainly overtaken them and clubs like Brighton and Fulham look more competitive at the moment. Then comes Ashworth’s short stint and single disastrous summer in Manchester.
It seemed doomed from the start in fairness when INEOS decided not to part ways with Erik ten Hag, with the club signing: Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui. Even despite the need for a managerial change, only Mazraoui has arguably impressed and Yoro’s injury has prevented him from showcasing the buzz around the young defender.
The others have not pushed the needle and United still look lost. Now, for the decision to end Ashworth’s time after just this summer, for whatever reason, is premature and he deserved more time but if it was not meshing then… perhaps it was the right move just maybe for the wrong person.
I cannot help but think that these last two jobs make the idea of a move to Arsenal far less appealing compared to someone like Olabe with a much cleaner, progressive career. Ashworth suddenly seems like a risk and perhaps better suited to a Premier League pretender than a English top flight contender.