Dan Ashworth’s First Deal as Sporting Director: Targeting Brighton for a Promising Acquisition
Manchester United’s newly appointed Sporting Director, Dan Ashworth, is wasting no time in planning for the future. Ashworth, who previously held a prominent role at Newcastle United, has set his sights on raiding his former club Brighton for a potential acquisition. This move marks one of his first actions in his new position at Old Trafford.
Ashworth’s decision to leave Newcastle comes after an approach from Manchester United, who were keen to secure him as their first-ever sporting director. Despite Newcastle’s hope of convincing Ashworth to stay, he has made it clear that he wants to join the Red Devils. He already has a relationship with Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford, who is overseeing the transition following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 25 percent stake in the club.
Now, Manchester United will enter into talks with Newcastle to negotiate a compensation package for Ashworth, with reports suggesting that the Magpies will demand a significant fee. Once the deal is finalized, Ashworth’s primary responsibility will be to rebuild United’s scouting department. Interestingly, he already knows who he wants to lead the new structure.
Ashworth is eager to be reunited with Sam Jewell, Brighton’s head of recruitment and the son of former Wigan and Bradford manager Paul Jewell. The two first encountered each other in 2018 and have maintained a strong professional relationship since then. Jewell joined Brighton as the head of Under-21 recruitment in 2016 and has steadily climbed the ranks in the eight years since then.
Jewell has played a crucial role in Brighton’s successful transfer business, particularly in identifying emerging talents from South America. He has signed players such as Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, and Julio Enciso for low fees, only to sell them for substantial profits later on. Ashworth highly rates Jewell and sees him as an ideal addition to his new-look team at Manchester United. Ineos, the club’s new stakeholders, have also taken note of Jewell’s accomplishments on the south coast.
While Jewell may not have been Ashworth and United’s initial choice for the role, he is still a highly regarded candidate. Other reports suggest that former Tottenham, Southampton, and Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell was also considered. However, Mitchell has declined United’s offer, as he is not interested in a role solely focused on recruitment.
As Ashworth prepares to overhaul United’s recruitment strategy, securing Jewell’s services will be a top priority. The Red Devils have yet to make a formal approach for Jewell, as they want to finalize the deal for Ashworth first. It remains to be seen how negotiations will progress, but Ashworth’s determination to bring in Jewell suggests that United are serious about strengthening their scouting department.
In conclusion, Dan Ashworth’s first move as Manchester United’s Sporting Director is to target Brighton for a promising acquisition. He wants to bring in Sam Jewell, Brighton’s head of recruitment, to lead United’s revamped scouting department. Jewell’s success in identifying and signing emerging talents from South America has caught Ashworth’s attention, and he sees him as a valuable addition to the team. With negotiations set to take place between Manchester United and Newcastle for Ashworth’s compensation package, it is clear that the Red Devils are committed to rebuilding their scouting department under Ashworth’s leadership.