Dan Ashworth’s Man Utd Deal at Risk as Chelsea Make Countermove
Dan Ashworth’s plans for Manchester United may be in jeopardy as Chelsea have made a rival move for one of his top targets. Ashworth, currently the chief at Newcastle, is believed to be closing in on a move to Old Trafford and has verbally agreed to become United’s first-ever sporting director. While Newcastle had hoped to convince Ashworth to stay, they are now resigned to his departure and will demand a significant compensation package to waive a potential gardening leave period until 2025.
Ashworth’s primary task at Old Trafford will be to rebuild the club’s recruitment team, and he is eager to appoint a deputy to lead the new structure. Brighton’s Sam Jewell is the leading candidate for the head of recruitment role, having previously worked with Ashworth on the south coast. However, it seems that United is not the only club interested in Jewell’s services, as Chelsea has reportedly made their own offer.
Chelsea, who have previously recruited from Brighton, are concerned about Ashworth potentially luring Jewell to Old Trafford and have made a preemptive offer to secure his services. The west London club wants to get ahead of United in the race for Jewell. The 34-year-old is tempted by both offers but has yet to make a final decision. There is also a possibility that he may choose to stay at Brighton.
Jewell joined Brighton in 2016 as the head of Under-21 recruitment and has since progressed within the ranks. He took over as head of recruitment after Paul Winstanley left to join Chelsea. Initially appointed on an interim basis, Jewell was given the role permanently in February of last year.
The offer from Chelsea is for a global scouting role that includes negotiations for both Chelsea and their sister club Strasbourg. On the other hand, Jewell’s role at United would be more focused on recruitment and player identification, similar to what he currently does at Brighton. He has played a significant role in scouting some of South America’s best young talents, bringing players like Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister to Brighton before selling them for substantial profits.
It remains to be seen which offer Jewell will ultimately choose, but both Manchester United and Chelsea are eager to secure his services. As the battle for Jewell’s signature intensifies, it will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds.
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