Man Utd won’t pay for Dan Ashworth? He’ll cost a quarter of an Antony…

Ridiculous to pay £20million for Dan Ashworth, you say? Why is it mad to pay that much for such a pivotal figure, especially when you consider what else Manchester United have spaffed that sum on…

The Dan Ashworth Saga, for that is what it will likely become, took another twist on Monday when Newcastle United announced that the sporting director had been placed on gardening leave after the club were informed of his desire to move to Manchester United.

For Newcastle, it is a blow. In a practical sense as Ashworth has been one of the main driving forces behind their ascent to the Champions League and their tip-toeing around FFP. In their words, the 52-year-old was responsible for  “overarching sporting strategy, football development and recruitment at all age levels”. Some remit, that. So he knows their secrets. Image-wise, losing their main man to a club they consider to be a major rival is not a look that suits the Saudi owners.

So you can understand why Newcastle are demanding £20million to release Ashworth from his contract. Maybe they ought to be insisting on considerably more.

But Manchester United don’t want to meet Newcastle’s opening demand. They seem to have taken the view that £20million for a sporting director is preposterous.

Which is ridiculous in itself. The Red Devils aren’t negotiating over a back-up right-back, or a teenage talent from South America. In either of those circumstances, you would expect them to be willing to cough up. But for the glue that promises to hold Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new operation together, they won’t pay half what they gave Ajax for Donny van de Beek.

That context shows the folly of United’s stance. Here is what else £20million has got them in recent years…

• 25% of Antony.
• a quarter of Harry Maguire.
• less than a third of Jadon Sancho.
• 38% of Fred.
• less than a year (44 weeks) of Casemiro’s salary.
• one Amad Diallo before add-ons.
• the £19.6million pay-off for Jose Mourinho and his staff plus some loose change.

Of course, paying £20million for a sporting director is not the done thing, because the very concept of a sporting director is still relatively fresh on these shores. There aren’t many of them doing the rounds, certainly not who have already gathered considerable experience and pedigree. Hence why we see the usual names floated whenever a Premier League club considers a change between boardroom and dressing room.

Some clubs, more managers and many fans remain sceptical. Which is understandable. Some in sporting director-type positions have been given the keys to clubs and done an inside job on burning them down. Others – most, actually – don’t face the level of scrutiny that their positions of power merit. That ought to change too.

The remit varies between appointments, but Ashworth explained his vision for the role while he was at Brighton. “I sit in the middle of a wheel, bring together seven departments, connecting those spokes,” he told the Training Ground Guru Podcast.

He added: “The principle for a technical director, sporting director, director of football, in my opinion, is to look after the medium to long term interests of the football club. It’s not about short-term ‘get a result against Liverpool tomorrow’, it’s to try and make sure the club is set up in a way that those other departments… are there for the longer-term benefits of the club.”

Indeed. Given the money sloshing around at the highest level, surely such a sum, especially for the figure viewed as the best-in-class and the scale of the job he faces, should be a reasonable demand.

Manchester United have their bargaining position and, buoyed by the fact Newcastle face paying Ashworth his full salary for as long as they seek to stop him working at Old Trafford, the Red Devils will feel they have enough leverage to save a few quid and still get their man in a prompt manner. After plenty of posturing and lining of lawyers’ pockets, a compromise will be reached. The Red Devils won’t have come this far to leave Ashworth high and dry.

But they, and everyone else, should recognise the value of an elite sporting director in the context of what else £20million will get you in the transfer market. Because, in the not too distant future, they too will be traded as assets like players. And a great sporting director is worth far more than a jobbing full-back.