- Dan Ashworth has asked to leave Newcastle amid Manchester United’s interest
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe is looking to appoint Ashworth as United’s sporting director
- CHRIS SUTTON: I wouldn’t be getting the bunting out at Man United just yet – It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Dan Ashworth has now told Newcastle he wants to leave the club – but he could be forced to wait close to two years before joining Manchester United if they do not pay significant compensation.
Mail Sport understands the period of gardening leave written into the sporting director’s current contract would take him towards the January transfer window of 2026.
That means Man United will have to negotiate an enhanced compensation fee to release him early or meet the terms of his contract and wait for his gardening leave to expire.
But Ashworth’s time at St James’ Park is now all but over and he has been placed on gardening leave after informing the club of his desire to quit. As Mail Sport reported last week, developments are expected to come to a head in the coming days.
It is thought Man United are willing to be patient and wait for Ashworth if a compromise cannot be reached, and that would mean Newcastle paying his wages for the duration of his gardening leave.
The 52-year-old’s position felt as good as untenable following Eddie Howe’s pre-match press conference on Friday, in which he expressed his concern over Ashworth’s access to the club’s inner workings ahead of a likely defection to their rivals.
Howe said then it was for ‘someone above me’ to answer whether Ashworth should be asked to leave the building immediately. The inference was the head coach wanted the situation resolved imminently.
Ashworth remained over the weekend, attending scouting meetings and Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.
However, he informed the club of his desire to leave on Sunday, just 20 months after joining from Brighton.
He will now be charged with leading the restructuring of football operations at Old Trafford under the new part-ownership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group. His key responsibility will be recruitment.
Exactly when he takes up that role depends on the outcome of conversations with Newcastle this week.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
