Newcastle United look set to have a busy transfer window in terms of player transfer activity as they bid to climb out of the clutches of the relegation zone.
However, the second incoming transfer Newcastle may make, after Eddie Howe was appointed to replace Steve Bruce earlier in the season, could be to fill the vacant sporting director role at the club.
According to Sky Sports Keith Downie, Newcastle have been granted permission to engage in talks to bring Brighton and Hove Albion technical director Dan Ashworth to the club to fill the void.
Newcastle United have been given permission to speak to Brighton Technical Director Dan Ashworth over their Sporting Director vacancy. Ashworth is highly regarded from his time working with the FA, and is one of the individuals Newcastle are considering for the job #NUFC
— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) December 20, 2021
Ashworth, who has been Brighton’s technical director since 2019, has overseen the club’s return to the Premier League and, along with Graham Potter, the cultivation of a footballing philosophy that has won widespread acclaim.
With a relatively small budget compared to some other Premier League clubs, Ashworth has helped Potter give Brighton one of the most identifiable playing styles in the league which has earned praise from a number of parties, including Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
The ship down at the Sussex based club is tightly run, and according to David Ornstein Ashworth enjoys a good relationship with the club’s hierarchy.
Despite this, Ashworth’s contract allows him to negotiate with another club if a project appears to be more appealing, which is exactly what Newcastle will be hoping to be if they are to pinch him from Brighton and get underway with their own rebuilding project.