Manchester United’s structure is beginning to take shape after the Premier League approved Ineos’ takeover.
As it seems imminent that Ineos will officially arrive after Premier League approval, rumours are heating up over the appointments that will be made at the club.
Dan Ashworth is the name which has emerged as a dream option for Manchester United‘s new sporting director.
The Englishman is currently at Newcastle United and is believed to be keen on departing St James’ for Old Trafford.
He’d arrive and according to ESPN, be handed a great deal of control over the recruitment of recruitment staff at the club in the future.
Now it’s been reported he could in fact raid Brighton and take their head of recruitment, Sam Jewell.
Who is Sam Jewell?
Brighton’s head of recruitment, Jewell is another appointment which should really excite United supporters.
Brighton are among the best teams in the Premier League when it comes to recruitment and so the prospect of taking someone from that set-up is encouraging.
Jewell became head of recruitment in 2023 after being at the club since 2016 which means he and Ashworth will have crossed paths, explaining why he’s a target.
Jewell comes from a footballing background, with his father a notable EFL manager at Wigan Athletic in particular.
He was a part of the Leeds and Bradford academies, although interestingly was a better golfer than a footballer. He played in national tournaments alongside Rory McIlroy, before realising he wasn’t at the same level as the Northern Irish great which led him to focus on using his footballing brain.
His first role came as an analyst with Newport County where he was soon nabbed by Swindon Town.
Pretty quickly after this too, he moved to Brighton first as a scout where he has risen through the ranks to his current role.
Sam Jewell’s best signings as head of recruitment
Despite not being in charge at the Amex for long, Jewell made his mark last summer as he signed a handful of excellent players for the Seagulls.
Joao Pedro stands out, signed from Watford for £29m, many raised eyebrows but this campaign he’s proven all doubters wrong with 19 goals and two assists in all competitions.
Another deal which stands out is the acquisition of Valentin Barco who could be the next big thing on the South Coast after he arrived in January from Boca Juniors for a minuscule fee of just £8m.
These kinds of deals are what United built so much success on and so the prospect of him and Ashworth in charge is exciting.
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