Sporting director Dan Ashworth leaves Manchester United

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Dan Ashworth has stepped down from his position as Sporting Director at Manchester United after only five months on the job.

According to The Athletic, the decision to let Ashworth go was made by Manchester United's leadership team, which is spearheaded by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and CEO Omar Berrada. This choice came after the team’s 3-2 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The 53-year-old officially began his role at Old Trafford on July 1st, following an extended period of leave from his previous club, Newcastle United. This delay was due to discussions between the two clubs regarding a departure fee.

Manchester United were keen to acquire Ashworth, whom they regarded as an exceptional talent, and ultimately spent between £2 million and £3 million to secure his move to Old Trafford.

Ashworth played a key role in transforming the club after Ratcliffe acquired a minority share. He has been instrumental in important football-related decisions, including the decision to retain Erik ten Hag as the manager over the summer and investing nearly £200 million on players such as Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, and Joshua Zirkzee, to name a few.

Manchester United announced that the choice for Ashworth to depart from the club was agreed upon by both parties. They issued a statement that said:

Dan Ashworth and Manchester United have come to a mutual decision for him to step down from his position as Sporting Director.

"We want to express our gratitude to Dan for his efforts and assistance during this time of change for the club, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Previously, Ratcliffe has spoken highly of Ashworth's contributions, both during his time at Brighton & Hove Albion and at Newcastle. In February, he remarked, “Dan Ashworth is undoubtedly among the best sporting directors globally. I am confident in his abilities.”

"He has a strong interest in Manchester United because it represents the greatest challenge at one of the most prestigious clubs globally. In contrast, managing City involves sustaining an existing level of performance. At United, there's a substantial rebuilding effort ahead. He would make a great asset to the team."

Ratcliffe recently faced criticism from Manchester United supporters for eliminating discounted prices for unsold tickets in Premier League games and setting a minimum ticket price of £66. This decision led to demonstrations at Old Trafford prior to last weekend's win against Everton.

While discussing with the 'United We Stand' fanzine back then, Ratcliffe expressed that there would be 'challenging and unpopular choices' ahead.

He stated, "Manchester United has fallen to an average level. It should be among the top football clubs globally."

"We need to face some tough and often unpopular choices. If we avoid making these hard decisions, we won't see any real change."