Manchester United are in the midst of the first of two major rebuilds in the coming months. While the summer will be focused on player acquisitions, the time between now and then will be focused on improving the boardroom infrastructure. Sir Jim Ratcliffe's impending arrival upon FA ratification is the first step towards returning United to where they want to be.
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Already he has managed to get Omar Berrada through the door at the end of the season as CEO and he has also identified Newcastle's sporting director Dan Ashworth as the next piece of the puzzle. However, there has been a slight hiccup to this plan. MEN Sport understands the Reds are willing to wait to bring Ashworth through the door after 'scoffing' at the £10m price tag imposed on him by the Magpies. Instead, United are happy for him to serve a period of gardening leave before taking on his new role in the North West.
While in most areas of business this would be understandable, in football those few months on the sidelines could be costly for the Reds. This week, I compared Ashworth's best transfers over the years to the current United squad and it is clear where his expertise lies. At Brighton and Hove Albion, the Englishman was able to find value in the market which looked to be dead and buried. The acquisitions of Kaoru Mitoma and Moises Caicedo for a combined £6.5m are exactly the sort of deals United need to be making with Financial Fair Play regulations continuing to breathe down their necks.
At Newcastle, the budgets were less restricted but he still managed to find bargains that could push Eddie Howe's men into the Champions League conversation. Ashworth will be key to United's recruitment if/when he arrives and with this being the case, the Reds cannot afford to wait to bring him in.
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Erik ten Hag, Ratcliffe and co. are already on the back foot in the summer considering United's diminished reputation following years of neglect. Delaying the arrival of the sporting director who will be key to negotiations shall only serve to push back United's summer plans and hinder them heading into next season.
