Newcastle director Dan Ashworth has been impressed by the appointment of Omar Berrada at Manchester United with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now looking to lure another key figure from a Premier League rival.
In the space of less than two months, the Ineos chief has brought a world-leading CEO to Old Trafford in the shape of former Barcelona and Man City chief Omar Berrada, has added the renowned Jean-Claude Blanc to the Old Trafford board, and could be about to follow that up with an appointment Manchester United fans have been crying out for for as long as recent memory allows.
Dan Ashworth would not only become United’s first ever sporting director, his arrival would also signal a further shift from the profit-obsessed commercialism of the Ed Woodward era and towards a new, football-facing perspective.
Manchester United confident of Dan Ashworth swoop
Ineos have made no secret of their desire to make Man United the most successful club in world football on the pitch once more. And a man who brought about major changes at Brighton and with the English FA before bringing his expert club-building know-how to St James’ Park would represent another massive step in the right direction.
According to The Guardian, Ashworth has been left rather torn by United’s interest. He is happy with life at Newcastle but also intrigued by the prospect of a major role in a Man United side planning one of the biggest and most substantial overhauls in European football.
The Guardian adds that Ashworth has already been ‘impressed’ by one big Ineos call, Berrada’s arrival as CEO viewed by some in Premier League boardrooms as a massive coup.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe takeover ratified
Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent takeover of Man United was finally ratified this week, both by the Football Association and by the Premier League. The Failsworth-born billionaire is now expected to step up his pursuit of an elite-level director of football, with Ashworth the leading candidate.
The Manchester Evening News go as far as to describe Ashworth as the ‘only’ candidate, with United steadfast in their determination to lure another key figure away from another top-flight rival.
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