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MANCHESTER UNITED has made a significant announcement regarding the exit of Dan Ashworth.
The sporting director has unexpectedly parted ways with the club after just five months.
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United confirmed the departure through a concise statement that read: “Dan Ashworth will leave his position as Sporting Director at Manchester United by mutual agreement.”
“We express our gratitude to Dan for his contributions and support during a crucial transition for the club, and we wish him success in his future endeavors.”
Ashworth engaged in critical discussions with CEO Omar Berrada following the 3-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest last night, eventually determining to end his tenure at Old Trafford.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe played a significant role in this unexpected boardroom change.
Ashworth’s transition from Newcastle was deemed “not successful,” with SunSport revealing last month that the United management was involved in a blame game concerning summer transfer activities.
This situation stemmed from challenges in releasing him from a gardening leave after his exit from St James’ Park.
The parties agreed on a £3million compensation settlement.
Ashworth went on to manage a £183m spending spree on players including Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee, and Noussair Mazraoui during the initial transfer window under Ineos ownership.
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Meanwhile, the director was part of the decision to retain then-manager Erik ten Hag and offer him a new contract.
However, just 14 matches later, they reversed this decision and terminated his contract.
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Before joining Manchester, Ratcliffe had commended Ashworth as “clearly one of the top sporting directors globally.”
Yet, the owner mentioned yesterday that United is still far behind in developing an effective recruitment structure.
Ratcliffe asserted: “We need to have the best recruitment in the world. Data analysis must support recruitment.
“It doesn’t adequately exist here. We’re still operating as though we’re in the last century regarding data analysis.
“There’s a vast amount of valuable information we can extract from data analysis, and we are currently rated as ‘very poor’ in this aspect.
“Enhancing this won’t happen overnight. You can’t merely flip a switch to solve recruitment problems.
“It’s all about people, and we need to find the right individuals.”
Who is Dan Ashworth?
DAN ASHWORTH is a committed football professional who has advanced from player to club director.
Although he did not achieve the highest levels as a player, he demonstrated his abilities with various non-league teams and during his tenure in the US.
After retiring, he quickly shifted to management, starting his first role at Peterborough. His significant breakthrough occurred at West Brom, followed by a vital position with the national team, where he was instrumental in establishing ‘England’s DNA.’
He held roles with two Premier League clubs before Manchester United recruited him last summer.
What lies ahead for Ashworth?
READ HIS FULL STORY HERE:
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