Dan Ashworth ready to take Newcastle to court over Man Utd move - report
- Man Utd want to hire Ashworth as their new sporting director
- Newcastle placed him on gardening leave while talks over compensation were held
- Lack of progress could see Ashworth take his current employer to court
By Tom Gott
Dan Ashworth is prepared to pursue legal action against Newcastle United to try and force through his move to Manchester United, a report has claimed.
Newcastle placed Ashworth on gardening leave back in February after he made it clear he wanted to join United, but talks between the two clubs hit a massive wall as the Magpies demanded a huge £20m in compensation.
According to The Times, United are reluctant to even meet the £4m Newcastle paid to sign Ashworth from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022, leading to a complete breakdown in talks.
As a result, Ashworth is prepared to take the matter to court in search of a final compensation fee that could hand him his move to United.
It is understood that Ashworth's case could begin in May and a resolution is likely to take a few weeks.
90min understands United are relaxed about Ashworth's situation. Club officials are prepared to play a waiting game to land their man and do not intend to pay anywhere close to Newcastle's £20m asking price.
While they await a resolution, United have already begun working on this summer's transfer plans. New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has overseen a number of changes behind the scenes, including the appointment of Jason Wilcox as technical director.
Wilcox left Southampton earlier this month and will soon join up with new CEO Omar Berrada, who remains on gardening leave ahead of his departure from Manchester City at the end of the campaign.
The plan is for Wilcox, who is currently responsible for football performance, recruitment and operations, to report to Ashworth if a deal can be struck for the Newcastle chief.
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