Dan Ashworth
Dan Ashworth (Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Former Newcastle United chief Dan Ashworth is reported to be in negotiations for a new job after leaving Manchester United. The former sporting director has been out of work since leaving Old Trafford earlier this year.
And in a shock twist, it could see him employed by Newcastle's owners, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia. Ashworth is believed to be talking over assume the role of sporting director at Al-Nassr, a prominent Saudi Pro League team.
PIF are the majority owners of Al-Nassr, as well as two other Saudi teams. Al-Nassr boasts an impressive squad with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jhon Duran, Aymeric Laporte, and Sadio Mane, all plying their trade in Riyadh.
Ashworth may soon be entrusted with overseeing Al-Nassr's future transfer dealings, which will be financially supported by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). The 54 year old has been absent from the football scene since his departure from Manchester United in December, described as a 'mutual agreement'.
However, according to Sportitalia, 'talks' are currently underway for Ashworth to relocate to the Middle East, potentially linking up with former United star Ronaldo.
Ashworth was employed by PIF as one of their first big moves after they took ownership of Newcastle in 2021. They quickly identified the former FA chief as being one of the best sporting directors in the country, and approached Brighton for his services. Ashworth went on gardening leave before eventually becoming sporting director in 2022.
However, his stint came to an acrimonious end after Ashworth was head-hunted by new Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and expressed a desire to leave Tyneside. United pulled out all the stops to secure Ashworth's services, who found himself on gardening leave by Newcastle last February following his expression of intent to transition to Old Trafford. There ensued a period spanning over four months before the parties settled on a compensation deal believed to be valued at up to £3million.
With a background that includes stints at the FA, Brighton, and Newcastle United, Ashworth was among the high-profile appointments made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe during his initial weeks at Old Trafford, alongside CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox.
Although Berrada and Wilcox remain at Manchester United, Ashworth's tenure lasted a mere five months. Despite the club's official statement attributing his exit to a mutual decision, Ratcliffe recently hinted at underlying issues, stating, "I think we just have to say 'chemistry', really," in an interview with The Telegraph. "I don't really want to go down that road. It is what it is, and it was our fault.
"They were just mistakes," he confessed. "The Erik thing is slightly mitigating. There was quite a lot of debate about that at the time. He had just won a cup final. The fans were clearly of the view that we'd like to stick with him and all that sort of stuff.
"They were both mistakes. I don't think we can say much more than that. It's a journey and there are a lot of decisions that we have to be made over the course of the journey and we're not going to get them all right. I don't think in the future we'll get them all right either because we're not perfect."
After his departure from United, Ashworth, whose name also surfaced in connection with the Arsenal sporting director role soon to be assumed by Andrea Berta, has embraced a consultancy position at Warwickshire County Cricket Club. What impact this development will have on his potential shift to Saudi is yet to unfold.