Dan Ashworth’s decision to take Newcastle United to arbitration will only add to the fury felt by the Magpies faithful as the sporting director attempts to push through a move to Manchester United. Given that the two Premier League clubs remain miles apart in their valuation of Ashworth, the former Brighton chief will now seek to have a third party bring an end to the stalemate.
Newcastle were initially seeking £20m for the sporting director, with those demands easing slightly. Manchester United, however, are in no rush to meet anywhere close to that figure, offering only a few million instead.
Ashworth’s gardening leave runs until late 2025, with Newcastle in no rush to see him out the door. However, the Magpies are hoping to get his replacement started before the summer transfer window. As for Manchester United, they are said to be backing Ashworth’s arbitration desires, with the case expected to rumble on for most of May.
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Newcastle paid £5m to cut Ashworth’s gardening leave at Brighton short and are refusing to roll over despite Manchester United’s public displeasure at how the saga has played out so far. However, the situation looks set to come to a head in the next four weeks.
Speaking back in February, new Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe bemoaned Newcastle’s stance as he sought to add pressure on the north east outfit.
“I think Dan Ashworth is clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world, I’ve no doubt,” Ratcliffe said. “He’s a very capable person. He’s interested in the Manchester United job because it’s probably the biggest sporting director job in the world just now, with the biggest challenge.
“We’ve obviously had words with Newcastle. They would clearly be disappointed to lose Dan. But what I do think is completely absurd is suggesting a man who is really good at his job sits in his garden for one and a half years. That’s completely stupid.”
In terms of arbitration cases, Ashworth’s isn’t the first and won’t be the last in the footballing world. Just this month, Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo won an arbitration case against his former club Juventus.
A tribunal ruled that the Italian club now owe the Al-Nassr striker €9.7m (£8.3m) plus interest. Ronaldo started the legal battle with Juventus over €19.5m (£16.7m) in outstanding wages after salary adjustments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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