Martin Keown has warned Arsenal to remember how quickly Dan Ashworth left Newcastle United to join Manchester United.
Ashworth, 53, left the Red Devils on Sunday after a mere five-month stint at Old Trafford. His move to Manchester from Newcastle in the summer was seen as a significant coup for new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS.
Ratcliffe lauded Ashworth as "one of the best sporting directors in the world" when he arrived at the club. And the Gunners are now evidently looking past his disastrous spell at Old Trafford, as he has reportedly been identified as a potential option to replace Edu as sporting director. However, Keown thinks Ashworth's decision to exit St James' Park – a move that ended acrimoniously and led to him going on gardening leave – is a major red flag.
Keown, speaking on the Seaman Says podcast that's sponsored by Betway, asked why the Gunners are considering Ashworth with his history of suddenly jumping ship to pursue a better offer. He said: "I was troubled with the fact that he wanted to leave Newcastle so quickly.
"Suddenly, something's glistening in the distance, shiny in the shape of Manchester United, and he wants to jump from Newcastle. Okay, what sort of personality are we talking about?"
Crucially, in terms of how Ashworth's past could be viewed by players at Arsenal and those who the club want to sign, Keown added: "The sporting directors, they're role models within the building. They're having a say with all the young players, their behaviour, contracts and the rest of it, and then suddenly someone just leaves. Just click of a finger, he's gone.
Martin Keown TV Football pundit for TNT Sports on the side line before the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal FC at City Ground on January 30, 2024 in Nottingham, England
Keown has his concerns about Ashworth (Image: Allstar via Getty Images)
"He turns up at Manchester United, and it feels embarrassing now. It's a power struggle, you know. They've got so many different cooks, haven't they?
"It's all speculation right now. But he's gone out the door very quickly."
Edu's decision to leave north London with a view to joining forces with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis left Keown feeling uneasy, too. His exit struck a nerve with the Arsenal Invincible, particularly with the Gunners now being linked with Ashworth.
Arsenal's Brazilian technical director Edu looks on after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates Stadium in London on May 19, 2024. Arsenal won the game 2-1, but lose out to Manchester City in the title race
Edu recently left his role at Arsenal (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
"I'm not happy that Edu's gone," Keown said. "That, for me, was a disappointment because it leaves the manager on his own. I think Richard Garlick will attend to that quickly and the necessary people will be back in.
"Whether we (Arsenal) take someone that Man United don't want, or didn't like [Ashworth], I don't know. It does seem that the journalists I'm hearing who are breaking the story seem to have had Dan Ashworth's ear. It seems that because he was 'shocked and stunned'.
"So, we're hearing that, so where's that coming from? I think it's coming from the horse's mouth. But as I say, I'd love to hear from him sometime soon because I'd be really interested to get the insight from Dan Ashworth as to why this guy, who Jim Ratcliffe said, 'He's the best in class', within a few months is out the door."