For all of the good work that Eddie Howe has done on the pitch, Newcastle and its supporters should be indebted to sporting director, Dan Ashworth.
The 52-year-old former director of the FA’s elite development area has been instrumental in landing targets and being the conduit between the Saudi Public Investment Fund and Howe and his backroom team.
He’s done such a good job that ever since Sir Jim Ratcliffe was confirmed as having taken over the running of football operations at Man United, Ashworth has seen his name consistently linked with the sporting director’s post at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe’s right-hand man, Sir Dave Brailsford, has been tasked with finding best-in-class for the position, and Ashworth’s achievements to this point certainly makes him a worthwhile contender.
However, it seems that the Red Devils are likely to be out of luck on this occasion.
According to The Independent (subscription required), Ashworth is reluctant to move from St. James’ Park despite, apparently, being offered a very high salary.
Newcastle, like Man United, are a work in progress, but it’s arguably that the Magpies are quite a bit further down the road than their Premier League counterparts.
Unless money was Ashworth’s main driver, it makes little sense to swap one English top-flight sleeping giant for another. Especially when potential new employers are riddled with internal problems.