‘Foolish’ Man Utd target Ashworth urged to ‘behave properly’ after ‘breaching Newcastle contract’
Simon Jordan has hit out at Dan Ashworth after the Newcastle United chief ‘inadvertently’ revealed that Manchester United were attempting to tap him up.
Ashworth has been Newcastle’s sporting director since 2022 but he is eyeing a speedy exit amid interest from Manchester United.
New Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a close relationship with Ashworth and the INEOS chief wants him to be their new sporting director.
Ashworth is viewed as the final piece of the jigsaw at Old Trafford as Ratcliffe has also brought in chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox.
The 53-year-old has been placed on gardening leave by Newcastle and he is taking the Premier League outfit to arbitration as they remain far apart in negotiations. It’s been reported that Man Utd are only willing to offer a couple of million for Ashworth, while their rivals want around £20m.
“You silly sod…”
Ashworth is regarded as one of the best sporting directors in the world but he has been made to look foolish in recent weeks.
It has been reported that he had ‘inadvertently’ sent an email to Newcastle which informed them that he had been in contact with Berrada over a move to Old Trafford. It was noted that this ‘blunder’ places him at risk of ‘breaching his contract’
In response to this story, ex-Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has hit out at “silly sod” Ashworth.
“Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s thinking is, ‘We’re Manchester United and we should be able to do precisely what we want when we want and irrespective of whatever contract Dan Ashworth has agreed,'” Jordan said.
MORE MANCHESTER UNITED MESS ON F365…
👉 Chelsea or Man Utd the most stupid in Mauricio Pochettino farce?
👉 Five of the biggest managerial falls upwards ever: Manchester United boss was told ‘please don’t come back’
👉 Pochettino new favourite for Man Utd job with Ten Hag sack looking likelier than ever
“In any industry, including the chemical industry, which Jim Ratcliffe originates from, if you have senior executives in your business that will change the direction of your business when they go to a competitor, you put a lockout clause in there. It’s a standard form.
“Because it’s la, la land football, Jim Ratcliffe is somehow suggesting that it should be different. Newcastle United did their job and the fool of a technical director signed a contract which he now doesn’t like.
“If Newcastle said, ‘Actually, we don’t feel like paying you this month.’ ‘What do you mean you don’t feel like paying me?’ ‘We just don’t.’ ‘But I’ve got a contract, you’ve got to pay me’.
“Now you’ve got a contract which goes the other way. You’ve got a notice period you silly sod. You’ve got to stay with it or negotiate your way out and the way you’re going to negotiate you way out is not sending emails to your current employers prejudicing your existing position so they get exasperated by it. It’s behaving properly and then getting Man United to pony up the money that you’re apparently worth.”
READ NEXT: Mauricio Pochettino to Man Utd makes perfect sense in a summer where little else does
