Dan Ashworth will step down from his position as Manchester United's sporting director after just five months.
Ashworth officially started his role on July 1 after a long spell of garden leave at Newcastle, but has now parted ways following Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Ashworth was responsible for football performance and recruitment, reporting to new CEO Omar Berrada, who was hired from Manchester City.
The 53-year-old leaves Man Utd after overseeing a £200million summer spending spree on Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Light and Noussair Mazraoui.
During Ashworth's tenure, Erik ten Hag was sacked as Man Utd manager in October and replaced by Ruben Amorim. It was reported at the time that Ashworth and Berrada were leading negotiations over the appointment of the Portuguese coach.
Ashworth also had successful spells at Brighton and the FA before Newcastle, and was seen as a statement appointment by minority owners INEOS, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe calling him “one of the best sporting directors in the world”.
A statement from Man Utd said: “Dan Ashworth will leave his role as sporting director of Manchester United by mutual agreement.
“We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him all the best for the future.”
Analysis: questions about INEOS' expensive decision-making
Melissa Reddy, senior reporter, Sky Sports News:
Major questions will arise over INEOS' leadership of Manchester United's football operations, following the departure of Dan Ashworth from the club after just five months as sporting director.
The latest shock at Old Trafford, which followed the decision to keep Erik ten Hag, back him heavily in the summer window and then sack him 13 games into the season, will be another expensive exercise.
United paid £2m to £3m in compensation to Newcastle to secure Ashworth, who they waited longer than he was actually in post. His departure will entail additional costs.
Amid mass layoffs and rising ticket prices, there is a growing sense that ordinary people are paying for the mistakes of the hierarchy – first the Glazers, and now under the leadership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ashworth's appointment was presented as the 'best in class' approach that would underpin United's new structure.
Although sources insist there was no major row, but rather an agreement that the setup was not working properly, it is yet another shameful look at INEOS' decision-making.
They will counter that with Ten Hag and Ashworth they have been prepared to support someone, but have shown a decisive lead when it is clear that change is necessary.
In contrast to the developments surrounding the Dutchman, the Ashworth news came out of left field. However, there was an indication that he was not as committed as a sporting director should be.
It was CEO Omar Berrada who agreed to appoint Ruben Amorim as the club's new head coach. He undertook the negotiations with Sporting, came on the field for the Portuguese and was the one who welcomed him to the training field.
Ashworth is described by some as much more passive than other INEOS employees.
That is offset by several sources who feel he has not had time to get to grips with the scale of some areas – such as the scouting operation – while dealing with management change, club-wide restructuring and Carrington's redevelopment.
Whatever the case, INEOS needs to show that these are simply teething problems resulting from the implementation of a new structure, rather than a hugely costly habit of correcting their mistakes.
Ashworth's manic 10 months at Man Utd
February 2024 – Manchester United approach Newcastle for sporting director Dan Ashworth as the Magpies place him on gardening leave. Sir Jim Ratcliffe publicly calls Ashworth “one of the best sporting directors in the world” and calls Newcastle's negotiations over the transfer chief's move “absurd”.
May 2024 – It is revealed that Ashworth and United's new CEO Omar Berrada had email conversations about their move to Manchester United while still employed by other Premier League clubs. The competition regulations stipulate that clubs and directors must behave towards each other with the utmost good faith.
July 2024: Manchester United finally appoint Ashworth on July 1, five months after their initial approach was revealed. Newcastle wanted to hold out for compensation of £20 million, but a compromise was reached with United.
August 2024: The first summer transfer window featuring Ashworth comes to an end, with United spending more than £200 million on new players and raking in more than £110 million in revenue.
September 2024: After Man Utd are beaten 3-0 by Liverpool, Ashworth and Berrada reveal they had no input into the decision to keep Erik ten Hag this summer. However, Ashworth says he “really enjoyed” working with the Dutchman.
October 2024: Erik ten Hag is sacked by Manchester United after a 2–1 defeat to West Ham, leaving them 14th in the Premier League.
November 2024: Man Utd appoint Ruben Amorim as Ten Hag's successor, with Berrada the key figure involved in talks with Sporting over the Portuguese manager's move. United spent an extra €1 million on his €10 million release clause to secure Amorim early.
December 2024: Ashworth leaves United after a 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
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