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Sir Jim Ratcliffe could lead a boardroom reshuffle at Manchester United by raiding Newcastle for the services of their sporting director Dan Ashworth, according to reports. Ratcliffe is currently in the final stages of purchasing a minority stake in the Red Devils and will have a major say in the football side of things upon his arrival at Old Trafford.
The Ineos chief is set to oversee sporting matters at United and will be responsible for trying to get the club back to its former glory with a hands-on approach. Ratcliffe is thought to be keen on appointing a sporting director as one of his first priorities and has already earmarked Ashworth as the man for the job, according to the Manchester Evening News.
It is said that Ashworth is regarded by Ineos as one of the ‘best in class’ and will be United’s top target to lead their player recruitment strategy over the coming years. He joined Newcastle in the summer of 2022 after a successful spell at Brighton and has been credited with helping the Magpies to sign the likes of Alexander Isak, Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon.
Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford is already said to have a line of dialogue with Ashworth, who arranged for the former head of British cycling to give a motivational speech to Newcastle players last year. Brailsford has already made several visits to United’s training complex at Carrington in preparation for Ineos to join forces with the club when their 25 per cent stake is officially ratified.
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The report adds that John Murtough will move into a different role at United if Ashworth is poached from Newcastle following Ratcliffe’s arrival. Ineos are said to have gathered positive feedback on Murtough following a process of due diligence and he is eager to stay at Old Trafford regardless of whether Ashworth joins or not.
Murtough’s situation is thought to be ‘completely separate’ from that of former chief executive Richard Arnold, who left United earlier this year. Discussions have reportedly been taking place between Ineos and Murtough in recent weeks, with the petrochemicals firm expected to officially begin their involvement with the club in the near future.
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It remains to be seen whether Ratcliffe’s plan to appoint Ashworth and change Murtough’s role will have the desired effect, with United likely to be operating under tricky financial conditions in the near future. The Red Devils crashed out of the Champions League group stages earlier this month, which is set to hit them in the pocket when it comes to maximising revenue streams.
A reduced number of home games thanks to their exit from Europe could see United lose around £40million in matchday revenue, according to The Independent. They have also missed out on an initial £8.2m payment from UEFA, which they would have been entitled to if they had reached the knockout stages of the Champions League.
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