Man Utd have ‘sights set’ on key Newcastle man amid plans for new Ineos-led transfer committee

Having secured the arrival of Omar Berrada as the club’s incoming CEO, Manchester United are now reportedly targeting the recruitment of Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth as the new sporting director.

Berrada’s appointment from Manchester City was confirmed on Saturday night, with the football executive’s start date not yet announced. It was a decision that United officials insist was made by the Glazers, and while the incumbent owners will have ultimately given the green light, it was a selection that has Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s fingerprints all over it.

The 71-year-old’s purchase of a minority stake in United is expected to be officially confirmed by mid-February, but Ratcliffe’s influence is already evident.

According to the i, the next major appointment is on the horizon and Sir Dave Brailsford ‘has his sights, with a laser focus, set on Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth to be the new regime’s sporting director’.

A long-term replacement for John Murtough is believed to be on the agenda for United, although the current director of football is expected to remain at the club in some capacity under Ratcliffe’s watch.

The i also claim Paul Mitchell is a name being considered as the club’s head of recruitment. He held a similar role at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur and has also been employed by RB Leipzig and Monaco.

Meanwhile, the same outlet reports that hiring Berrada is seen as ‘the beginning of the end for the Glazers’ with the arrival from City ‘a statement appointment of epic proportions’. Berrada was convinced by Brailsford to join United on the basis that it was a ‘performance challenge’, while the i note how the deal was pulled out without it breaking days in advance.

On the pitch, United return to action on Sunday with an FA Cup fourth-round trip to Newport County, before travelling to Molineux four days later in the Premier League.