Dan Ashworth attempted to cover his tracks by deleting an email he sent to his Newcastle account, revealing secret talks with Manchester United, and then claimed that comments by Eddie Howe had made his position untenable.
Mail Sport reported that in early February, Newcastle’s sporting director sent an email to Omar Berrada, the incoming Manchester United chief executive, expressing his desire to accept the same role at Old Trafford.
Ashworth accidentally sent a blind copy to his Newcastle email address and subsequently deleted it. At this stage, Manchester United had not approached Newcastle, and Ashworth had not informed his employers of the covert discussions with a rival club.
The discovery of the email by Newcastle was embarrassing for both Ashworth and Berrada, who was still on gardening leave from Manchester City. This situation could potentially lead to a Premier League investigation if a complaint is filed.
In a twist, Ashworth claimed that comments made by Howe on February 16 had made his position untenable. These comments were made a week after the secret exchange with Berrada that Ashworth thought he had erased.
Howe, when asked about Ashworth’s potential move to Manchester United during a press conference, expressed concern that Ashworth still had access to Newcastle’s transfer plans and financial information, calling for a swift resolution.
Ashworth felt this left him unable to continue working for the club. In reality, he had already accepted Manchester United’s offer.
On February 18, Ashworth informed Newcastle of his intention to join Manchester United and was placed on gardening leave, which Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe indicated would last until the end of 2025. Newcastle is awaiting an acceptable offer to release him early.
It has been reported that Ashworth is set to take Newcastle to arbitration to force the move.
According to the Daily Telegraph, he will argue that he was sacked by the club, stating that he was not asked to formally submit his resignation in writing by chief executive Darren Eales and should not have been placed on gardening leave without doing so. He will contend that he was removed from his position rather than voluntarily stepping down.
Arbitration is meant to be a confidential process. Newcastle and Manchester United have declined to comment when approached by Mail Sport this week.
Leave a Reply