Man Utd: Ashworth timeline revealed to ‘begin work’ amid ‘agreement’; ‘pushes’ transfer on Ratcliffe
Man Utd are set to step up their efforts to bring Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth to Old Trafford, according to reports.
Ashworth was placed on garden leave by the Magpies last month after telling the club he wanted to leave St James’ Park after just 20 months to take up a similar role at Old Trafford.
Man Utd step up negotiations with Newcastle
New Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made Ashworth’s recruitment a priority and has railed against suggestions that his release could cost £20million, describing the prospect of the 52-year-old facing up to 18 months in limbo under the terms of his contract with the Magpies as “completely stupid”.
A recent report claimed that the Red Devils have now reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Ashworth to take over as the Premier League club’s new sporting director.
Ratcliffe wasted no time in appointing Omar Berrada as new CEO from arch-rivals Man City, while the British billionaire also wants Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman as their new head of recruitment and Southampton’s Jason Wilcox as technical director.
Ashoworth remains their top target for the role of sporting director and now HITC claims that Man Utd ‘have stepped up their talks with Premier League rivals Newcastle United over Dan Ashworth in the hope that they can finalise an agreement ahead of the summer transfer window’.
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HITC adds:
‘Newcastle are demanding around £20 million to facilitate Ashworth’s move, but, as it stands Manchester United have been looking at less than half that.
‘HITC has been told that the Red Devils want a deal in place that will allow Ashworth to be behind his Old Trafford desk by the summer so that he can begin work alongside new chief executive Omar Berrada, who is arriving from Manchester City.’
And there have already been rumours about who Ashworth could target once he’s in position with a number of Man Utd transfer targets named in recent weeks.
Dan Ashworth pushing Man Utd towards Jarrad Branthwaite
Football Transfers claim that Ashworth is ‘pushing a deal for Jarrad Branthwaite’ to join Man Utd in the summer from Everton with the Red Devils having ‘an interest in the youngster for a while’.
The report adds:
‘We are told now that Man Utd are heavily involved in getting a deal over the line for the summer. Sources inform us that Everton will demand £75million for the centre-back, though there is an idea that an initial £65m will be enough, as well as add-ons.
‘The Toffees are reluctant to see the defender leave Goodison Park – but their situation around the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations means that they must offload the player.’
