Simon Jordan has shared exactly what he thinks Newcastle United should do with Dan Ashworth as he is set to join Man United.
Newcastle are reluctant to let Ashworth go too easily and so have demanded that Man United pay £20m if they want his services now or risk waiting until 2026 before he can impact a transfer window.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan claimed Man United stealing Ashworth is just how football works, but that Newcastle have the right to and should ‘rinse’ their rivals for as much money as they can.
Newcastle staying firm on Ashworth stance
Newcastle want to be one of the biggest football clubs in the world and in order to do that they have to prove that they belong not only on the pitch but in their business off of it as well.
Losing Ashworth was not part of the plan, but now that this is a reality it’s all about how Newcastle manage the situation and ensure that they aren’t played for a fool by Man United.
From the moment they hired him, the Magpies have always insisted that they were very well protected in case something like this came about, and now that it has you can see how carefully thought out it was.
Newcastle are still demanding £20m from their Premier League rivals who are reluctant to pay, but it doesn’t look like the Geordies will be lowering that price any time soon, which Jordan thinks is the right call.
On the show, Jordan said: “The challenge for football is if you’re a lesser club, irrespective of who owns you, you will find yourself building something that is successful and someone else coming along and taking the fruits of your hard work. With Ashworth, Newcastle took him from? Brighton. They did to Brighton what’s been done to them.
“That’s the way the world works. And the challenge for them is to have the diligence, which they clearly have had, is to protect themselves from a perceived bigger football club just coming in and taking when it suits them with no consequence, or a sort of balancing act for the club that had him.
“He’s been there for 20 months and been responsible for two or three hundred million on transfers. Most of them have worked out well and now he’s gone to Man United. Fair play to Newcastle. If Newcastle can go to Man United ‘you want him? You’ve got to pay for it’.
“Would I hold out for my £20million? Damn right I would. Damn straight I would. I’d make them pay every single last cent that I could possibly rinse out of them because they don’t get to take my vision in the same way Newcastle had to pay compensation to Brighton.
“Man United have brought in £1.6billion worth of players over the last 10 years. Their recruitment policy has gone to the dogs, their development of young players has gone to the dogs – they’re not a great football club at doing things on the pitch.
“So at this moment in time, if they bring somebody in that costs them £3m to £4m a year in wages and a £20m compensation fee and he’s responsible for the next five years of a billion pounds on transfer fees, an X amount of wages then it’s worth the money. This is what you pay.”
Newcastle could receive huge summer transfer boost
Losing Ashworth would naturally be a big blow and not something Newcastle would have planned for, but it may still help the club as they head into a very important and busy summer window.
As we saw in January, Newcastle don’t have a bottomless pit of money, far from it actually, and really need as much help as they can get in increasing the budget even if their Champions League money kicks in for next season.
Eddie Howe will want to make a number of additions to the first-team squad if they are to get back amongst Europe’s elite and every penny will count.
They are considering selling the likes of Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron, but the possible £20m that Newcastle could receive from losing Ashworth may make the difference in if they can sign a new star player or not.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
