Dan Ashworth has resigned as Manchester United’s sporting director after just five months in the role, with the decision described as a mutual one between the club. According to The Athletic, the announcement was made on Sunday after discussions with Ashworth and chief executive Omar Berada, and will reportedly see United play at home on Saturday. The impetus was the 3-2 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Ashworth, 53, joined United in July following a high-profile move from Newcastle United. During his short tenure, he played a pivotal role in shaping the direction of the club under new minority owner Jim Ratcliffe. His contributions included key decisions such as retaining manager Erik ten Hag and overseeing investments in key players totaling nearly £200m.
After the report emerged on Sunday, December 8, United were scheduled to publish a statement on their website confirming Ashworth’s departure. The club said the decision was mutually agreed and thanked the former sporting director for his dedication to the club.
“Dan Ashworth will step down as Manchester United’s Sporting Director by mutual agreement.”
“We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during this period of transition for the club and wish him the best for the future,” the statement said.
Ashworth, tasked with overseeing performance and recruitment, secured deals worth £200m with the likes of Joshua Zirkzee, Lenny Yolo, Matthijs de Ligt, Nousser Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte during his short tenure. During that time, he only managed one transfer window.
Ashworth, 53, arrived at Old Trafford with high expectations, backed by an impressive track record with Brighton, the Football Association and Newcastle. However, United’s difficult circumstances made it difficult for him to repeat his previous successes and ultimately led to his early departure.
United lost at home to Nottingham Forest and are currently 13th in the Premier League points table. They will now face Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League and then face Manchester City in the Premier League on December 15th.
