Dan Ashworth is already making his mark after leaving Newcastle United, but criticism will come his way

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Dan Ashworth has been very busy since swapping Newcastle United for Manchester United.

After a lengthy saga, it reached a conclusion just a few weeks ago. The 53-year-old is now the new sporting director at Old Trafford, with Man United paying Newcastle £10million in compensation.

It was a vital deal for both clubs. The money Newcastle United received helped them overcome their PSR hurdle, and the Magpies will now avoid a points deduction.

As for Man United, they have got the senior figure they have been chasing for months, and he has been allowed to start work immediately.

Dan Ashworth closing in on second Manchester United signing

Dan Ashworth has already made his first signing, with Joshua Zirkzee arriving from Bologna.

The Dutch forward cost Man United £36.5milllion, with the Red Devils paying slightly over the odds to land the 23-year-old.

They could have got him for £34.4million, as that was his release clause. However, the deal that Ashworth negotiated will allow Man United to spread the payments over a longer period of time, which obviously benefits them from a financial perspective in the short-term.

Now signing number two is on his way, with the Athletic reporting that Man United have agreed an initial £52million deal to sign Leny Yoro from Lille.

The 18-year-old has been undergoing a medical, before signing on the dotted line with Man United.

£52m deal will be criticised, just like Newcastle signing Lewis Hall

In Yoro, Man United are getting one of the most coveted young defenders in world football.

They are also getting an 18-year-old who was in the final 12 months of his Lille contract and was widely reported to want to sign for Real Madrid.

But Los Blancos have not come in with an acceptable bid, resulting in Yoro heading to the North West of England.

On the face of it, Man United have massively overspent on a teenager in the final year of his contract who has only spent one season as a regular starter for Lille. With add-ons, the deal could end up being worth £59million.

When you look at it like that, criticism for Ashworth is inevitable. It will be similar to the criticism he got when he brought Lewis Hall to Newcastle United for £28million.

That deal got a real hammering, as it was immediately clear that Hall was not ready to be a regular under Eddie Howe. With money tight, it was questioned why the club committed so much cash towards a teenager with such little experience.

But Hall was bought for his potential, and he showed hints of realising it at the back end of last season.

And when it comes to Yoro, Man United are also signing potential. If he turns out to be as good as he is expected to be, the Red Devils could have their leading centre-back sorted for at least the next 10 years.

If that proves to be the case, Ashworth will get credit for his foresight. Until then, it could be a bumpy ride.

Paul Mitchell yet to make his mark at Newcastle United

As football fans, we want to judge everything right here right now. But clubs are focussing more and more on the future, looking to get ahead of the pack by signing potential rather than the finished article.

We saw Ashworth do that at Newcastle, and it will be interesting to see if his replacement Paul Mitchell does the same.

Newcastle’s new sporting director is yet to have a major impact, but his time will come. Howe is hoping Mitchell will make two signings before the pre-season trip to Japan, with Newcastle heading to the Far East at the end of July.

It will be tough for Mitchell to deliver what Howe wants, and it remains to be seen who the Magpies’ top targets are. Everything is under wraps at the moment, as the Toon Army wait nervously to see who Mitchell snaps up.