Dan Ashworth already has five things on his Manchester United to-do list

Manchester United are moving closer to appointing Dan Ashworth as their sporting director after they reached an agreement with Newcastle.

United had been stuck in protracted talks with their Premier League rivals for a number of months with Sir Jim Ratcliffe having bemoaned the frustrating pursuit of their only target for the role.

The good news for Ratcliffe and United, is that a resolution is in sight, with Ashworth set to join the club imminently after a compromise was reached with Newcastle. Ashworth will be wasting no time to get to work at Old Trafford, and here are five things on his to-do list when he eventually arrives.

1 - Style of Play

The most important of all his tasks is to establish a clear style of play and long-term goal for Erik ten Hag's side to adhere to. United have long lacked a clear and cohesive structure and will not make progress until they do so.

Having a clear football mantra will determine which players they look to sign this summer, who they will get rid of and how they plan for the future. It is imperative Ashworth can get this sorted as soon as possible.

2 - Transfer targets

United have outlined the need for a centre-back, midfielder and a striker this summer and it will be down to Ashworth to help deliver those targets. Ratcliffe previously described United as 'dumb money' and now the real challenge is to prove they can be smart with it.

Moves for Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt would grab headlines, but perhaps Ashworth has a few surprise suggestions up his sleeve already who could help save the club millions in the long run.

3 - Sell the unwanted stars

United are targeting record player sales this summer, but it is far easier said than done. With less than a week until players return for pre-season training, Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood and Donny van de Beek are all still contracted to the club.

It is clear these three have no long-term future at the club and Ashworth must find a way to get rid of them all while also raising enough money to balance the books and reinvest elsewhere in the squad.

4 - Make a decision on uncertain futures

Another key aspect of his role will be deciding what to do with a host of players who face uncertain futures at the club. Marcus Rashford is one of those who could potentially leave this summer and United must decide whether or not he really is part of their project going forward.

There are similar calls to be made on the likes of Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Antony. They could theoretically all leave this summer, but it is hard to see United actually letting them all leave when it is such a hard task to replace them.

5 - Fernandes contract

There is plenty of transfer interest in Bruno Fernandes this summer, but United are planning to keep him and could even offer him a new contract. The Portuguese playmaker is open to a new deal, which would include a significant pay rise, but United must decide whether or not they are prepared to do so.

Fernandes is still arguably their most important player, but at the age of 29, they can't risk repeating their previous mistake of giving older squad members high wages and long deals.