Journalist shares what he finds ‘really strange’ about Dan Ashworth leaving Newcastle

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Five years ago, Newcastle United spent just over £20million to sign Miguel Almiron in what was a club record deal.

Fast forward to the present day, and that is the type of money it is going to cost to poach Dan Ashworth from St James’ Park.

The 52-year-old has been placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United, with Ashworth making it clear that he would like to leave Tyneside and take his talents to Manchester United.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants Ashworth at Old Trafford, but any deal is going to cost him. Newcastle are not going to be pushed around, and have demanded a huge compensation package from the Red Devils.

If they decide against paying it then Ashworth will remain on gardening leave, potentially until early 2026. That is a long time for Man United to wait, so they are going to have to get their chequebook out and find a compromise with the Magpies.

But why? That is the question that the New York Times’ Rory Smith has asked, as he queries why Man United have to pay compensation to get Ashworth now.

Rory Smith asks key question about Dan Ashworth leaving for Manchester United

Smith has appeared on 5 Live Sport’s Monday Night Club, where they discussed the Ashworth situation with the Athletic’s David Ornstein.

“Why do Manchester United have to pay for him?” he asked.

“That will sound silly but I genuinely don’t understand. In what industry – and maybe I’m wrong, in finance if you go and get some whizkid from JP Morgan and you’re Goldman and Sachs you have to pay – but I don’t know of any industry where you can say the cost is this. It’s £20million to buy his contract. It’s really weird.

“We accept it in football but it’s really strange when you think about it. What are these sums rooted in?”

Ornstein answered: “It comes down to contractual law in the sense that if Newcastle want they can hold him until the end of his contract. Therefore the only way for Man United or a suitor to extract him from that is to offer some money.”

Newcastle are in a position of power

Smith asks the question with genuine intrigue. He certainly is not insinuating that Man United should not have to pay. He genuinely wants to know why Newcastle are in a position to demand a certain amount of compensation.

As Ornstein says, Ashworth’s contract means that Newcastle can force him to sit out the entirety of his gardening leave, or they can agree to end it early if a certain amount of money is spent.

The Magpies are the club with all the power. Man United have showed their hand and made it clear they want Ashworth, and they will get him. But how badly? Is their desire so great that they will pay £20million? Probably not.

Obviously, £20million is a huge amount. It is a crazy amount, in fact. You could get a decent player for that amount.

You have to imagine a compromise will be reached, which will result in Newcastle getting some money to let Ashworth end his gardening leave early. However, the Magpies will certainly make sure that any deal favours them, rather than Man United.