Man Utd backroom shake-up taking off! Red Devils ‘confident’ of poaching Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as sporting director - adding to Omar Berrada coup from Man City

TalkSPORT reports that Ashworth wants to join United from Newcastle, with the Red Devils looking to restructure their backroom team under the stewardship of new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe. They have already poached Omar Berrada from Manchester City, appointing him as chief executive, and now look poised to bring Ashworth in.

Ashworth would be appointed as sporting director, with a head of recruitment then set to be hired to work beneath him. The 52-year-old has only worked with Newcastle since February 2022 but his spell at St James' Park now looks set to end. He has also previously worked as the FA's director of elite development, creating a pathway for young England players to find a way into the senior team.

Ashworth has long been on United's radar and was linked with a move to the club as far back as 2018. United have long operated without a traditional hierarchy, involving a director of football, but that now looks set to change.

Negotiations with Newcastle will continue but there is an expectation the deal will go through. In the meantime, United play Luton on Sunday in the Premier League.