Manchester United offer 10 per cent of compensation Newcastle United want for Dan Ashworth

It is over nine weeks now since Dan Ashworth was put on gardening leave by Newcastle United, after he stated he wanted to go to work for Manchester United instead.

The terms of his Newcastle United contract meant that Ashworth would be on gardening leave until January 2026, unless his new employers paid the compensation NUFC wanted, in return for cutting this period of gardening leave short.

The same situation occurred in 2022 when Dan Ashworth told Brighton he wanted to move to St James’ Park, the Newcastle United owners agreeing to pay Tony Bloom the amount of compensation they were asking for. This allowed Ashworth to start work on Tyneside in June 2022, significantly earlier than if the compensation hadn’t been paid.

It was widely reported back in February when Dan Ashworth was placed on gardening leave after the Man U approach, that the Newcastle United owners wanted £20m to cut that 22 months period of gardening leave.

Now on Tuesday (23 April 2024), The Telegraph are reporting in an ‘exclusive’ that Manchester United are only offering to pay £2m compensation, just 10 per cent of what the Newcastle United owners want.

The report stating ‘Newcastle want around £15 million plus a further £5 million in add-ons for Ashworth…. [Man] United are proposing compensation around the £2 million mark…’

The Telegraph adding ‘Privately, United – who are operating to a tight budget this summer – feel that the extra £10 million-plus it might take solely to shorten Ashworth’s gardening leave would be better invested in playing talent.’

The newspaper describing what Man U want Dan Ashworth to do WHEN he starts at Old Trafford: ‘His envisaged role at [Man] United is to oversee the management of the entire football operation by putting the correct processes in place, creating the right scouting network and building the appropriate analytics and performance departments. In other words, ensuring there is a cohesive, highly functioning structure around the manager/head coach, technical director and all other key football departments.’

It is hilarious really, that Man U have headhunted the person who they want to do all of this, ahead of all other candidates, yet are now refusing to pay the compensation asked for.

The club that spent £85m on Antony but won’t pay more than £2m for somebody to start work ASAP in such a key senior role at Man U.