Dan Ashworth has left his position as Manchester United’s sporting director just five months after his appointment, the club announced on Sunday. The 53-year-old, who joined on July 1, was described by part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as “one of the top sporting directors in the world” at the time of his hiring.
United confirmed in a statement that Ashworth’s departure was by “mutual agreement,” thanking him for his contributions during a transitional period. However, the timing — coming a day after a 3-2 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest that left the club languishing in 13th place — has raised questions about internal decisions under Ratcliffe’s Ineos group.
Ashworth’s brief stint included significant influence over the club’s management and recruitment. He was involved in extending Erik ten Hag’s contract in June, a decision that resulted in a £10.4 million compensation bill when Ten Hag was sacked in October. Ashworth also played a role in hiring Ruben Amorim, who joined as head coach last month after United paid £11 million to secure him from Sporting Lisbon.
The summer transfer window under Ashworth saw a massive outlay of approximately £200 million on players like Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Joshua Zirkzee. Despite this investment, the team has struggled on the pitch, amplifying scrutiny of United’s leadership.
Ashworth had previously been prised from Newcastle after a five-month effort by United and was placed on gardening leave before starting his role. Ineos now faces the challenge of finding another candidate for the sporting director position or potentially restructuring the club’s management system.
The announcement comes after Sir Jim Ratcliffe admitted in an interview with United We Stand that the Ineos group had made “one or two errors” in appointing key personnel. Ratcliffe compared the situation to Ineos’ ownership experiences with French club Nice and Swiss side Lausanne, saying, “Our antenna wasn’t perfect at United, and we’ve made one or two errors, but they’re a lot better than they would have been than if we’d not done Nice and Lausanne.”
United must now regroup as questions mount over their leadership and direction during a difficult season.
