Newcastle United wanted to appoint Dan Ashworth as their Technical Director not long after their takeover by Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media was completed, but the 51-year-old is still on gardening leave after departing from Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Magpies have to pay £5m to get Ashworth in before the end of the season, otherwise they’ll have to wait until November. Paddy Kenny believes Newcastle will stump up the cash as they’ll need Ashworth ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, telling Football Insider: “It’s only £5million.
“I could understand if it was something like £20million. I think that’s a fair price for someone who is going to come in a transform the club. I understand why Newcastle aren’t doing it. They don’t want to be seen paying whatever people want.
“Clubs and agents need to know these guys won’t just throw money at things they want. But when it’s £5million to get this guy in, I think you just have to pay it. If you pay that then you get him in now and he can start working straight away.
“He will be itching to get started and to be honest, I think Newcastle will bite the bullet and pay that before the end of the season.” Ashworth retired early as a player and was Academy Director at Peterborough United (2000), Center of Excellence Director at Cambridge United (2001), Sporting and Technical Director at West Brom (2007), FA Director of Elite Development (2012) before being Technical Director at Brighton (2012).
He has an impressive CV and could be a major asset for Newcastle, so why wouldn’t they want him during their summer rebuild? Ashworth must be desperate to get to work too, so is Kenny right in his prediction?
In other news, Allan Saint-Maximin was decent for Newcastle United against Wolverhampton Wanderers
