No love lost for Dan Ashworth as Man Utd chase Newcastle United sporting director deal

An exit for Newcastle United's Dan Ashworth is on the cards, after Manchester United began chasing a deal to bring the highly regarded sporting director to Old Trafford. But there's no love lost for many ChronicleLive readers in our comments section, who think that the transfers chief is leaving his work undone on the Magpies' long-term project.

Ashworth has been on Manchester United's radar before, and this time it's their new Jim Ratcliffe-backed INEOS leadership trying to tempt him. He has delivered hits for Newcastle, like Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak - but the troubled signing of Sandro Tonali and the little-used Chelsea loanee Lewis Hall go against his record so far.

For commenter Purelybelta, an exit for Ashworth would not be the end of the world: “Let him go, his due diligence on Tonali was hardly up there was it? Did the same at Brighton and they're doing well. Plenty of decent people out there in the business so see ya Dan.”

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Division 3 agrees: “Personally couldn’t care less if he wants to go. He has every right to work where he likes. We will survive and flourish without him.”

LintonLad questions the sporting director's reputation: “Is he any good? Would we miss him? Brighton were obviously a well run club who bought cheap and sold expensively, but what has Dan done at Newcastle? Are there sponsorships and players that we would not have got without him? I have nothing against the bloke and I hope he stays, but what has he done?”

For some, it feels more like a betrayal. "What a waste of ~3 years that was," said Finbarnone. "Bought into our 'long term project' to rebuild a club but jumps ship at the first chance to join a bankrupt former PL giant. Off you pop Dan, but, don't expect credibility within the game. You blew it!”

It's the same for reader BigMan2022: “His work has only just begun, if he leaves now, what kind of man is he? Man U are has-beens, they are not and have not been any good for years now. For him to go on reputation alone makes no sense, especially as he joined us during our early days of the resurgence. So that just leaves money, and again, what kind of man would he be to leave after such a short time, job undone, for money?”

“If Ashworth has so little commitment to NUFC that he can be lured away when he has hardly got his office furniture installed at his Newcastle office then he isn't really the man for us... Much better suited to Man United”, says Huckleberry Hound.

Is it worth trying to keep hold of Ashworth? Paultaxi reckons so: “I would rather he stayed here. He did really well at Brighton with the players he got them to get in. Yes Milan got one over him so no one perfect, he has a great job to finish here so do it. Show people it's not all about the money going to Manchester United”.

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Harryhoudinitoon thinks Newcastle should defend their position on a point of principle. “Seems strange were supposedly going out of our way to get the best in all areas for the club, yet the talent we employ is going to be allowed to be cherry picked. One step forward two steps back springs to mind."

And the grass is not always greener. Noodlebug says: "The set-up at Newcastle seems to be working well between owners-Eales-Ashworth-Howe and he's just getting started here. Why jump to another identikit role, full of uncertainty about how he will fit in and get on with his paymasters?”

"I don't see what the appeal of Manchester would be other than the kudos of turning around a club with an atrocious record on transfers, and maybe an easier life because the commercial revenue limitations he has to deal with here would be less restrictive there. They don't really need his skillset but they would benefit from taking it away from us."

Should Newcastle try to fend off interest in sporting director Dan Ashworth? Comment below and join in on the conversation.