Manchester United begin hunt for Dan Ashworth replacement after sporting director's shock exit as Omar Berrada spearheads search

Ashworth swapped Newcastle for United earlier this summer but by early December, the sporting director made a swift Old Trafford exit. Now, the Daily Mail claims the Red Devils' CEO Omar Berrada has begun the process of determining if they need to find a successor for the 53-year-old.

The report adds that Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox will take on the 'bulk' of Ashworth's responsibilities while they decide what to do next. Manchester City's former chief football operations officer Berrada has reportedly started to consider the remit of any new executive appointment as the club are not expected to go for another sporting director.

Ashworth made a name for himself as the Football Association's director of football development, before having spells as Brighton and Hove Albion's technical director and Newcastle's sporting director.

While this work continues on behind the scenes, Ruben Amorim's United round off their 2024 - which has been full of highs and lows - at home to Newcastle on Monday in the Premier League.