Jim Ratcliffe, the Manchester United chief, is reportedly planning significant changes within the club’s hierarchy. One of the changes involves increasing the offer for Dan Ashworth by £13 million after making a lowball offer during negotiations.
It is expected that Omar Berrada will join as CEO from Manchester City, and Jason Wilcox will become the new technical director after completing his move from Southampton. INEOS duo Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc were also appointed to roles within the club’s football operations team.
Manchester United has been eager to appoint the highly-rated former FA technical director Ashworth as their new sporting director. However, negotiations have hit a snag as Newcastle reportedly wants at least £15m with an extra £5m in add-ons, whereas Ratcliffe made a £2m offer.
Despite the complications, United is considering paying a small uplift on the £2m fee to hire Ashworth prior to the summer, as they believe investing an extra £10m in the playing squad is crucial. Ashworth stepped down as Newcastle’s sporting director but was placed on gardening leave.
This has led Newcastle to seek a replacement, potentially expediting negotiations with United over Ashworth’s future. Ratcliffe has made reference to Ashworth’s situation, expressing the need for patience, likening it to running a marathon and stating that it is not a quick fix.
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