After reaching an agreement with Newcastle, Manchester United is now set to announce Dan Ashworth’s appointment as the team’s new sporting director. This comes after months of discussions.
This is also a huge step in the right way for the club’s transfer intentions.
The biggest triumph of the Ineos era thus far may be the signing of the man who helped turn Newcastle from relegation prospects to Champions League contenders and who also contributed significantly to Brighton’s rise as a sort of model club.
Ashworth will now be a part of a significantly altered behind-the-scenes setup alongside Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox, and others, meaning that the transfer market will receive more attention.
Specifically, bringing in players who can turn around a team that placed a miserable eighth in 2023–2024; Ashworth’s long-awaited arrival should make this happen much more easily.
The good news is that Manchester United and Bayern Munich are having fruitful talks on Matthijs de Ligt. Following discussions with his old Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, United has reportedly made a five-year offer to the Dutch international, according to Mike Verweij of The Telegraaf.
In the meantime, Joshua Zirkzee’s £34 million release clause goes into effect today.
According to iNews, Man United believes Zirkzee is the “ideal fit” to relieve some of Rasmus Hojlund’s workload. Zirkzee is a little more contemporary if the former is a tangible, nineties throwback.
The mercurial Dutchman, who is somewhere between a nine and a ten, would give Man United a whole new dimension in the last third with his ability to drop deep and let runners, like Marcus Rashford and the equally explosive Alejandro Garnacho, dash in behind.
He is a forward that is “much more technical” than the illustrious Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a reason.
According to the iNews, Man United see Manuel Ugarte as a possible perfect match for Kobbie Mainoo in the middle of the park.
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