Eddie Howe described it as an “unusual situation”.
Is it too strong to replace “unusual” with “untenable”?
Because Dan Ashworth’s position as Newcastle United’s sporting director feels like it is rapidly heading in that direction.
It is not his fault that Manchester United’s courtship of him is playing out in public, but it has now reached the point of being damaging to his present employers and risks affecting their short-, medium- and long-term plans.
The sporting director is supposed to be the one to shape the vision and direction of a club, yet in this case, his own status is proving to be a distraction. Everything has become about Ashworth rather than about Newcastle — and that is unsustainable, unwelcome and harmful.
He did not choose for this scenario to unfold in this manner. Ashworth informed Newcastle that Manchester United approached him as soon as they did, but only after they had done nothing to downplay or deny their desire to take the 52-year-old to Old Trafford — something that first came up as a possibility in November. Their failure to open formal discussions with Newcastle so far, despite the midweek escalation, has put Ashworth in a difficult position and has destabilised their Premier League rivals.
This saga would be tedious if it was not so consequential. Discussing the future of a sporting director is not as sexy as that of a star player, yet it is arguably far more significant in the long run than whether or not Bruno Guimaraes leaves St James’ Park this summer.
As Howe implored them to on Friday morning, Manchester United need to get on with it because the present inertia is not serving anyone well.
The “intelligence and information” Ashworth is privy to at Newcastle, as Howe puts it, would be very useful at Manchester United — direct top-six rivals. Ashworth will know all manner of things — transfer plans, contract situations, the existence of release clauses in players’ deals, sensitive commercial information and much more — yet he has been at his two offices, at the Benton training ground and St James’ Park, this week continuing as if everything was normal.
“Your concerns are relevant,” Howe told reporters when asked how comfortable he was with the situation being dragged out given Ashworth’s role and access to such important information. “I don’t know quite how much I can say, but I share your feelings.”
Ashworth, centre, and Howe, right, have been key figures in Newcastle’s transformation (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
“Business as usual” was the initial claim when this story gathered pace this week, but it is evidently anything but.
The idea of Ashworth hosting Newcastle’s scouts at a hotel in the Quayside area of the city yesterday (Friday) feels preposterous given there is anticipation on all sides he will be leaving the club soon. The presence of Ashworth in the directors’ box for today’s Premier League match against Bournemouth seems equally absurd. Yet, as things stand, that is what is set to happen.
Ashworth has not told Newcastle he wants to stay. Significantly, he has not told them he wants to leave, either. He has been careful never to be definitive either way, failing to give insiders a straight answer on his intentions. Even this week, he has been non-committal.
Given Ashworth’s knowledge of Newcastle’s blueprint, it was put to their head coach on Friday that the sporting director should no longer even be allowed in the building. That is what would happen in other businesses of Newcastle’s size in different industries when one of their most senior employees is potentially joining a competitor.
“That is not a question I can answer,” Howe said. “It is for someone above me.”
Yet Newcastle’s board find themselves in an almost impossible situation, too.
If they do put Ashworth on leave before Manchester United formalise their approach, it weakens their negotiating position when it comes to compensation as his exit would then be inevitable. Contractually, it may also be difficult to do that given Ashworth has never indicated a desire to move.
Then, once those discussions commence, what should Newcastle’s priority be?
Some within the club, thought to include Howe, believe Ashworth should serve a lengthy period of gardening leave — 12 months is thought to be the provision in his contract — definitely extending beyond this year’s summer transfer window, to preserve their secrets for as long as possible before he assumes day-to-day responsibilities at Old Trafford.
Others may argue that extracting as much money as possible from Manchester United may be more advantageous. Newcastle are close to their limit when it comes to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and any fee recouped for Ashworth would improve their PSR situation, while negatively affecting Manchester United’s. There will be recompense paid to Newcastle regardless, but the figure will rise the sooner Manchester United want Ashworth to begin work.
A trade-off between the two feels like the most sensible solution, but official negotiations must start first and it’s up to Manchester United to get that ball rolling.
The inactivity is having a detrimental effect on Newcastle. Howe was hardly flattering about Ashworth at his pre-Bournemouth press conference yesterday — there appeared to be an undertone of agitation within the head coach’s comments — and, already, it feels like revisionism of the sporting director’s impact on several areas of the club is beginning to occur in preparation for his exit.
As with any transfer in football, there is always a possibility this one collapses. That is perhaps why Ashworth has been equivocal — after all, he remains a Newcastle employee and Manchester United are yet to formalise their interest.
But even if Ashworth ends up staying, there will now always be doubts about his commitment. A swift exit to Manchester United therefore really does feel like the best solution for all parties — as long as Newcastle are adequately compensated.
At the very least, Ashworth’s reputation on Tyneside has been irreparably blighted by this whole episode. At worst, it could be argued this saga has already made his position close to untenable.
(Top photo: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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