Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth has resigned after just five months, according to reports.
Ashworth officially started work at Old Trafford on July 1 after a long period of garden leave with his former club Newcastle United.
However, his shock departure is said to have been agreed in a meeting with United CEO Omar Berrada following last night's defeat to Nottingham Forest.
United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly played a crucial role in the decision, although sources have told The Athletic that the club initiated the exit.
United say the agreement to tear up Ashworth's contract was mutual.
Ashworth, 53, was appointed to oversee football performance and recruitment at the club, reporting to Berrada, a recent arrival from Manchester City.
In turn, United's technical director Jason Wilcox worked under Ashworth as part of the new hierarchy implemented by Ratcliffe.
Ashworth was involved in the Red Devils' £200million spending spree over the summer, with Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee also recruited as part of the substantial spending spree.
He was subsequently quoted in the statements confirming each signing.
Ashworth was also part of the management team that made the decision to sign Erik ten Hag to a new contract and fire him a few months later.
His appointment at United came at the end of difficult negotiations with Newcastle. Ashworth informed the Tyneside club in February that he wanted to move to Old Trafford and was reportedly open to arbitration.
Initially, Newcastle had demanded around £20 million in compensation, although a compromise worth £2 to £3 million was eventually thrown out.
“Dan Ashworth is clearly one of the best sporting directors in the world,” Ratcliffe said in February. 'I have no doubt that he is a very capable person.
'He is interested in Manchester United because it is the biggest challenge at the biggest club in the world. It would be different at City, because you maintain a level. Here it is a significant rebuilding job. He would be a very good addition.'
Ashworth joined Newcastle after resigning from his role as technical director at Brighton in February 2022. He previously held the same position at the Football Association.
Ratcliffe cheekily described United as a 'mediocre' club paying the price for 'very poor' recruitment in a bombshell interview with fanzine United We Stand.
'The club has been drifting for a long time, about ten years. Manchester United have become mediocre,” Ratcliffe said.
'It's not an elite club and it would be one of the best football clubs in the world.
'That's how it was under Alex [Ferguson]. Major changes are afoot to achieve elite status. But there is already a huge change happening at this club.'
Ratcliffe is also surprised at how out of touch United are with data analytics compared to their rivals.
'Until we're as good as anyone in the world, it's not good enough for Manchester United. We need to have the best recruitment in the world,” he added.
'Data analysis comes next to recruitment. It doesn't really exist here. As far as data analysis is concerned, we are still in the last century.'
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