After months of courting and contractual disputes, Manchester United have finally reached an agreement to sign Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as their new sporting director.
Despite being one of the first names identified by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and recently incumbent INEOS setup, it’s taken months for Man United to get a deal ironed out for highly-rated English sporting director Dan Ashworth, who made no secret of his desire to take the job.
Ashworth, 53, was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United back in February when he made it clear he wanted the move following an official approach and initially demanded a compensation package of a reported £20 million to let him go, with the Tyneside club refusing to budge on the matter.
However, a resolution has finally been found and after the two clubs reached a mutually beneficial agreement – one which reportedly helped the Saudi-owned club stay in line with profit and sustainability rules (PSR) – the former director of elite development at the FA will start work effective immediately.
🔴 Manchester United and Newcastle issue the following statement.#MUFC
Ashworth will join recently appointed technical director Jason Wilcox, who joined from Southampton, and ex-Manchester City and CFG executive Omar Berrada, who is also set to officially start work later this month.
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The three will operate under the stewardship of co-owner Ratcliffe and his right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford, head of the INEOS Sports division and who alongside the likes of Ashworth will help bridge the gap between the footballing side of things and the executive board.
With Brailsford having been part of the British cycling revolution within Team GB and Team Sky cycling (now the INEOS Grenadiers), and Ashworth going from PE teacher to a footballing director at West Brom, Brighton and then Newcastle, there’s some established know-how to the appointments.
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Ashworth was also a player himself once – representing Norwich City at youth level before joining non-league Eastbourne Town – and although he’ll be more involved with managing the overall structure, strategy and recruitment than anywhere near coaching or anything like that, there’s an understanding of the game at a core level.
Meanwhile, there is also talk of a coaching appointment that would certainly prove popular with the Old Trafford faithful.
Both the club and Ashworth were so keen on getting a deal across the line that there was even talk of taking the dispute to court and Ratcliffe himself made a point of pressuring Newcastle, telling BBC Sport: “It doesn’t make sense for [him] to be sat around doing nothing for 18 months”.
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Nevertheless, the two clubs have finally ended the stalemate and confirmed the appointment on Monday, 1 July in a joint statement. It reads as follows:
“Newcastle United and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the immediate release of Dan Ashworth from his contractual obligations at Newcastle United.
“The terms of this agreement remain confidential between the clubs. Newcastle United thanks Dan for his services and wishes him well for the future.” The question is, will his impact be as transformative when it comes to footballing infrastructure as he has been in the past?
Featured Images — TNT Sports (via YouTube)/The Manc Group
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Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
1st July 2024 
