Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Graham Potter is keen to be reunited with a former Manchester United figurehead at West Ham
West Ham United are believed to be in talks over a potential deal to appoint former Manchester United and Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth, according to reports from Football Insider.
The Hammers are keen to revamp their recruitment team after an unsuccessful summer window which resulted in a disappointing start to the season under former boss Julen Lopetegui.
The Irons are searching for a new sporting director following the departure of Tim Steiden earlier this year - and they are claimed to be very interested in well-renowned Ashworth who still holds a strong reputation in the game from his time with West Brom, the English FA, Brighton and Newcastle United.
Ashworth worked closely with Potter throughout the pair's time at Brighton and is seen as an expert in navigating the transfer market and overseeing a team of recruitment experts.
He played an influential role in Brighton’s success story in the Premier League and is understood to be a target for West Ham as they look to once again mould a team together that is capable of qualifying for Europe in the near future.
What went wrong for Dan Ashworth at Manchester United?
According to Sky Sports, United’s hierarchy paid between £2-3m in compensation to Newcastle to secure the services of sporting director Ashworth. Due to the complications in meeting Newcastle’s valuation and the long-running saga between the two clubs it actually took United longer to wait for Ashworth’s arrival than his actual time in the post.
Ashworth's appointment in the summer of 2024 was held up as the 'best in class' approach that would underpin Jim Ratcliffe’s new structure after a period of underachievement on the pitch.
However, on 8 December after a disappointing summer transfer window which saw Erik ten Hag surprisingly stay in the dugout until November, United announced they had ‘mutually agreed’ to part ways with Ashworth.
A furious Gary Neville said at the time: "Something like that can't be mutual. When INEOS came in, everyone knew there were going to be huge changes.
"There have been mass redundancies within the club, a complete overhaul of the executive of the club in terms of the CEO, CFO, sporting director, technical director and manager recently. You would've expected large changes but not for this position. Ashworth was headhunted, he was chased for about 10 months.
"He was on gardening leave for four or five months, they paid millions of pounds to get him. I worked with Dan at the FA for two years and he's been very successful everywhere he has been. Brighton, West Brom, the FA and Newcastle most recently.
"I'm most shocked this has happened, it's not a great look at all. It's something that's going to need a lot of explaining.
"The statement the club have put out is really poor. Man Utd haven't had a voice for 10 years. They've lost their authority and their boldness.
Quite what caused Ashworth’s premature exit is still yet to be fully disclosed but The Guardian reports that Ashworth felt undermined by the ownership and excluded from what he saw as key processes, as it became clear the appointment was working for neither party.
What could Dan Ashworth bring to West Ham?
Dan Ashworth has a wealth of experience as a sporting director in English football and a strong working relationship with Graham Potter from his three-year stint as technical director at Brighton.
During his time at the Amex Stadium, he played a pivotal role in the recruitment of stars such as Alexis Mac Allister, Yves Bissouma, Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Evan Ferguson who all worth significantly more than the nominal fees Brighton spent to bring them in.
Similarly at Newcastle, he was also involved in the signings of Sven Botman, Anthony Gordon, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and most notably Alexander Isak.
Ashworth’s experience in finding bargains, managing a recruitment team and his close working relationship with Potter make him a prime target for the capital side as they look to make wholesale improvements on the recruitment front.
Elsewhere, in other news, Atletico Madrid could hand Man Utd £9.3m transfer windfall as £50m offer 'prepared'.