Manchester United and Erik Ten Hag could soon have important sporting director

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is wasting no time in regards to improving Manchester United. Despite not signing any players in the January transfer window, Ratcliffe wants the club to have the right people to decide who to sign and how to negotiate for players in the market. Ratcliffe and the Glazers appointed former Manchester City CEO Omar Berrada as their new CEO for next season. Now, they are close to appointing a sporting director they have been interested in for months.

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Manchester United have shown interest in Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth. Manchester United will have to pay significantly more than £10m in compensation if they want to release Dan Ashworth from a gardening leave that could extend to the end of the year. Craig Hope from the Daily Mail reports that Dan Ashworth has an informal agreement with Manchester United and INEOS. He is now waiting for them to make an official approach and agree on a compensation package with Newcastle United.

New Man United CEO Omar Berrada set out his Manchester United plans early, desperate to create a tight management team to forge a new path for the club. Guardian Sport reports that Dan Ashworth has had discussions with Omar Berrada. Some of the best signings Ashworth was involved in are Nick Pope from Burnley to Newcastle United, Mitoma signing for Brighton from Kawasaki Frontale, Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad to Newcastle United, and Moises Caicedo from Independiente del Valle to Brighton.

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Despite Ashworth's great track record, Manchester United legend Roy Keane is not a fan of a trait of his

Roy Keane spoke about Man United's interest in bringing Ashworth to the club. Although the sporting director is great at bringing in talent, Keane isn't too keen on his trait of moving from club to club.

Keane said, "He doesn’t hang around, does he? I’m not sure loyalty is on the top of his list. He left Brighton for Newcastle, and now [in only two years] he’s jumping to join United. You have to look at that side of the personality as well; no doubt he is brilliant at his job, but who’s to say in a year and a half he might want to go to Real Madrid or Barcelona.”