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With the March international break behind us, Manchester United have entered the business end of the season.
Erik ten Hag’s men, who are scheduled to face Brentford away from home this weekend, will hope to build on their win over Liverpool in the FA Cup, while overtaking Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa to guarantee a place in the Champions League for the next season.
Champions League football could prove to be integral to INEOS’ approach for this summer’s transfer window, due to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations.
Another thing that may influence their summer plans is the appointment of a new director of football. At this point, it is no secret that Sir Jim Ratcliffe sees Dan Ashworth as his preferred target to oversee the new era at Old Trafford.
However, Man United are struggling to find a compromise with Newcastle United over a compensation fee for his services. Should the two clubs fail to find an agreement, Ashworth might be forced to remain on his gardening leave for a lengthy period.
The Magpies have already announced Ashworth is no longer in charge of their football operations, but he remains under contract at St. James Park.
Having said that, this stalemate benefits no party. United are keen on bringing Ashworth as soon as possible and Newcastle would be better off focusing on their summer plans by hiring a new sporting director.
In that regard, a report from Inews suggests that Newcastle are indeed looking to move on, having earmarked a number of targets to replace Ashworth.
Paolo Maldini is among the candidates in the frame for the vacant role. The legendary Italian defender is appreciated by Newcastle for the way he assembled a young AC Milan side that went on to win the Serie A title in 2022.
Maldini is now on the market, having left the San Sir outfit in June of last year.
It remains unclear how much Newcastle are paying Ashworth currently, but it is not too far-fetched to assume they would not prefer keeping two sporting directors on their payroll.
As such, Newcastle seemingly speeding up the process to appoint a new sporting director suggests United are close to landing Ashworth.
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