Dan Ashworth is free to play for Manchester United after agreement with Newcastle | Premier League
Dan Ashworth is finally free to start working as Manchester United's sporting director after agreeing compensation with Newcastle United.
The former technical director of the Football Association was Placed on gardening leave for Newcastle in February after it became clear that Ashworth wanted to swap St James' Park for Old Trafford to join the new Ineos management model set up by minority co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
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The 53-year-old joined Newcastle as sporting director from Brighton in 2022 and his departure did not sit well with executives at the majority Saudi-owned club, who demanded a £20m settlement fee from Manchester United.
When Ratcliffe and company initially offered £2m, the dispute looked set to go to arbitration, but over the weekend an out-of-court settlement was reached, ending an impasse that had prevented Newcastle from appointing Ashworth's successor.
The undisclosed financial commitment also offered Newcastle a welcome boost as they battle to get on the right side of profitability and sustainability regulations ahead of Sunday night's deadline at the end of the latest three-year PSR cycle.
Premier League clubs are not allowed to lose more than £105m over three seasons but Newcastle will hope that, along with the Ashworth deal, the weekend sales of Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and Yankuba Minteh to Brighton for a collective fee in the region of £70m have spared them the threat of a points deduction in January.
The start of a new three-year PSR cycle offers clubs more room to maneuver and Newcastle announced on Monday the signing of former Chelsea left-back Lewis Hall in a £28m move from Chelsea. Hall spent last season on loan at St James' Park. Newcastle have also signed back-up goalkeeper John Ruddy after his contract with Birmingham expired.
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Although Newcastle manager Eddie Howe can now hope to retain two big names, Swedish striker Alexander Isak and Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães, the prospect of Liverpool rekindle their interest In England, winger Anthony Gordon is not believed to be completely extinct.
