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Dan Ashworth (file photo). Alamy Stock Photo

Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth leaves after just five months

Ashworth joined United on 1 July after leaving Newcastle.

MANCHESTER UNITED SPORTING director Dan Ashworth has left the club after just five months, the Premier League side have announced.

Ashworth joined United on 1 July, having been described by part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as โ€œone of the top sporting directors in the worldโ€.

But it appears that his transition has not gone smoothly and his departure was announced a day after Saturdayโ€™s 3-2 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest left United 13th in the table.

A club statement said: โ€œDan Ashworth will be leaving his role as Sporting Director of Manchester United by mutual agreement.

โ€œWe would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future.โ€

Although United have said the decision was mutual, the manner and timing of Ashworthโ€™s departure will raise more questions for Ratcliffeโ€™s Ineos group.

Ashworth had, along with the rest of the United hierarchy, been part of the decision to hand former manager Erik ten Hag a new contract in the summer, having been quoted in the official announcement in June.

However, Ten Hag was sacked in October, with that contract extension adding to a sizable compensation bill of ยฃ10.4million (โ‚ฌ12,535,120), before the appointment of Ruben Amorim, who took charge last month after United paid around ยฃ11m (โ‚ฌ13,258,300) to get him from Sporting Lisbon.

Ashworth was also involved in an expensive summer of recruitment, with the combined fees for Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee costing around ยฃ200m (โ‚ฌ241m).

United spent around five months trying to prise Ashworth out of his previous role at Newcastle, with the 53-year-old going on gardening leave, but Ineos must now try again to fill one of the most important roles at the club.

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