Dan Ashworth’s opinion on Erik ten Hag’s transfer veto is clear, Man United have listened

Dan Ashworth’s opinion on Erik ten Hag’s transfer veto is clear, and Manchester United has listened to it.

Ashworth, 53, has officially joined United as sporting director following an extended negotiations saga between the Reds and his former employer Newcastle.

The transfer expert will be taking charge of all footballing aspects at Old Trafford, and much has been made of Ten Hag’s recruitment role going forward.

It is no secret that the Dutch manager had extensive control over transfers in his first two years at the club, and INEOS is looking to change things in the new contract they are planning to agree to with him.

However, some supporters believe Ten Hag should have zero say in the transfer strategy at Old Trafford. Ashworth’s view is the complete opposite.

He believes that the manager must be happy with the signings at a club otherwise it’s a waste of resources. Instead, the 53-year-old has explained the importance of assessing the different options when looking at improving a squad.

“If I sign a player that Graham [Potter] doesn’t like or want, it’s a drastic waste of resources,” he said in 2020 when he was in charge at Brighton.

“Ultimately, Graham has got to pick 11 players that he thinks will give him the best chance of winning.

“If he doesn’t rate the attributes in a player that I do, then we are going to invest a transfer fee, salary and agent’s fee for a player that Graham doesn’t rate or want and who is unlikely to play.

“So how do we work here? Well, we agree the areas of the pitch that Graham wants to improve. Our first port of call is ‘what have we already got in the system?’ There have been times when Graham has said: ‘I’d rather work with what we’ve got and make them better than sign a player for the sake of it.’

“But if we haven’t got that position in the U23s or out on loan, then we need to go into the market.”

While Ten Hag having less power in terms of transfer power is important, it is also crucial to ensure that the manager is on the same page and that seems to be exactly what United have done.

It has been explained by The Athletic that Ten Hag and the wider recruitment department each have a veto over potential signings, and it is something that remains in his new contract.

This will allow the manager to continue to have an influence in the transfer scene, but he will no longer have such control over it after the additions of Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell.

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