“No chance…” – Dan Ashworth has strong opinion on Manchester United’s biggest problem

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth could move to Manchester United as part of the new regime under Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS.

Ashworth, 52, is one of the top options for the role and would follow in the footsteps of Omar Berrada, who has also left a Premier League rival for United as the chief executive.

Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent stake has now finally been ratified by the Premier League, and the British billionaire appears to be wasting no time now that he has his feet fully under the table at Old Trafford.

It has been reported by talkSPORT that United are ready to step up their interest in Ashworth, who has a close relationship with Sir Dave Brailsford, and the Telegraph have added that senior figures at Newcastle United are ‘bracing themselves’ for his possible departure.

This would be another large coup by the INEOS regime, with Ashworth playing a major part in the evolution of Brighton and Newcastle in recent years.

Manchester United is a different beast, however. The club have had many problems in recent years; one of the biggest has appeared to be the poor managerial moves, which have led to five different permanent managers being at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, with all of them having completely different styles.

That could become six if Erik ten Hag does not end the current season in the Premier League’s top four.

Speaking in 2019, whilst still in his role at Brighton, Ashworth explained the idea that this kind of managerial merry-go-round gives you ‘no chance’ of creating important links within the club.

“My view is that if you keep changing the head coach every 14 months or so, which I think is the average life-span of a Premier League manager right now and then you go from one philosophy to another, you have no chance in joining up your academy, your loans and your player recruitment,” he told BT Sport.

“You’re then having to change 16 or 17 players in order to change your principles and philosophies.”