Dan Ashworth's 6 best transfers as Man Utd move to poach Newcastle chief

14 February 2024 , 11:05

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Dan Ashworth has been with Newcastle since the summer of 2022 (Image: Serena Taylor/Getty Images)

Manchester United are targeting Dan Ashworth to oversee the new era at the club – and it’s easy to see why they want him.

United have made Ashworth their number one target, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team determined to tempt him away from Newcastle United. Ashworth has only been with Newcastle since the summer of 2022, having been poached from Brighton, where he embellished his reputation as one of the game’s shrewdest operators.

The 52-year-old has a long and impressive CV, which saw him start as a player at Norwich before moving quickly into coaching via a stint as a PE teacher. He was studying for his badges as a teenager and, after playing semi-professionally, joined Peterborough United, where he rose from education and welfare office to academy director.

He had a three-year stint as director of Cambridge United’s centre of excellence and spent five years as West Brom ’s technical and sporting director. And it was with the Baggies that he first got involved in player recruitment, watching more than 300 matches a season to search for bargains.

Ashworth then worked for the FA as their director of elite development from 2012 to 2019, when he moved to Brighton. His stellar record with the Seagulls saw him poached by Newcastle and, with less than two years under his belt there, he could now be on the move to United. Here Mirror Football explains his acumen in the transfer market by taking a closer look at six of his very best signings.

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Peter Odemwingie

When you think of Odemwingie, you might first think of his infamous failed transfer to QPR, but the former Nigeria international holds a special place in the hearts of West Brom fans. He contributed 31 goals and 17 assists in 90 appearances for the club between 2010 and 2013, having been signed from the relative obscurity of Lokomotiv Moscow for just £1.5million.

He was an immediate hit in Birmingham, scoring 15 goals in his debut campaign to end as the club’s top scorer and the good times continued. Odemwingie’s goals helped the Baggies achieve finishes of 11th, 10th and 8th in the Premier League.

Peter Odemwingie was brilliant for West Brom (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

To this day he remains the club’s record scorer in the Premier League with 30 and Ashworth is rightly very proud of his role in signing him. When speaking to the Baggies Broadcast podcast, he picked Romelu Lukaku and Odemwingie as his best signings at West Brom. “Value for money wise, Odemwingie on his day was outstanding,” he said. “I’d probably say Lukaku as a loan and Odemwingie as a permanent.”

Alexis Mac Allister

Ashworth had successes at West Brom, but it was at Brighton where things really clicked into gear. Working in a structure geared towards finding gems, developing them and then selling them for a profit, Ashworth proved himself skilled at signing players from outside the top five leagues in Europe.

Mac Allister was just 20 years old when he was signed in January 2019 and loaned back to Argentinos Juniors and then to Boca Juniors. After being allowed to further develop in his homeland, Brighton paid Boca £650,000 to cut his loan short, sensing the time was right.

Alexis Mac Allister was a huge success at Brighton (Nigel French/Getty Images)

The gifted midfielder initially took some time to settle, but his quality soon shone through. He ended up with 20 goals and nine assists in 112 appearances for the club when Liverpool came calling, paying an initial fee of around £35m, which could rise to £55m, after he won the World Cup with Argentina.

Moises Caicedo

According to The Athletic, Ashworth operated using a three-pronged ‘traffic-light’ system for transfers at Brighton. First, the recruitment department found a player, then the money required to sign him was considered before the final call was handed to the manager.

Caicedo came out of obscurity, signed from Independiente del Valle in Ecuador in February 2021 for around £4.5m. By August 2023, they were selling the combative midfielder to Chelsea for £115m.

Brighton have developed a reputation for signing excellent players on the cheap from South American clubs, with Facundo Buonanotte (Rosario Central, £5.3m) and Julio Enciso (Libertad Asuncion, £9.5m) joining Caicedo and Mac Allister at the club. Ashworth deserves credit for that.

Kaoru Mitoma

Honourable mentions to Leandro Trossard and Marc Cucurella, but Mitoma stands out for his pure ability and the excitement he stirs every time he gets the ball. The Japan international has been so enjoyable to watch since arriving at Brighton from Kawasaki Frontale for just £2.7m in August 2021.

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Mitoma was loaned out to Belgian side Royal Union Saint-Gilloise before coming into Graham Potter’s side. He now has 13 goals and 14 assists in 66 appearances and, like many of his former teammates, has been linked with moves to top-six Premier League sides.

Kaoru Mitoma is being eyed by rival Premier League sides (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Nick Pope

After a period of gardening leave, Ashworth arrived at Newcastle in the summer of 2022. With backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, he had a very different brief, but still knew a bargain when he saw one.

Pope joined for £10m from Burnley and immediately looked an inspired signing. Ashworth’s work with England and his contacts in the game means he knows many of the best young players coming through and, while Pope was an established Premier League player and 30 years old at the time, he was a safe bet, akin to the signings of Adam Lallana or Joel Veltman at Brighton.

Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak is Newcastle's club-record signing (Getty Images)

The most money Ashworth has ever spent on a player. Newcastle shelled out around £60m for Isak from Real Sociedad in a signing that was a show of intent for the newly-rich club. Ashworth and Newcastle’s head of recruitment Steve Nickson spent two days in San Sebastian negotiating the deal with Real Sociedad and must be happy with what he’s provided since.

The Swedish international has been hampered by injuries at times, but looks every bit a club-record signing when he’s fully fit. He’s scored 24 goals in 52 games so far, with three assists, and will likely lead the line for years to come.

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Felix Keith