Dan Ashworth is set to take Newcastle United to arbitration to help facilitate his move to Manchester United.
Ashworth, 53, was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle in February after informing the north east club he wished to explore the opportunity.
The Athletic reported before Newcastle’s decision that Ashworth had notified them of Manchester United’s approach to become sporting director at Old Trafford.
Newcastle were seeking as much as £20million in compensation but with Manchester United unwilling to meet that figure the matter is now on course to be decided by a third party. Ashworth will be supported by Manchester United in a case anticipated to start in May and last a number of weeks.
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is overhauling football operations at Manchester United, with Manchester City’s Omar Berrada taking over as CEO this summer and Jason Wilcox already installed from Southampton as technical director.
“I think Dan Ashworth is clearly one of the top sporting directors in the world, I’ve no doubt,” Ratcliffe said in February.
“He’s a very capable person. He’s interested in the Manchester United job because it’s probably the biggest sporting director job in the world just now, with the biggest challenge.
“We’ve obviously had words with Newcastle. They would clearly be disappointed to lose Dan. But what I do think is completely absurd is suggesting a man who is really good at his job sits in his garden for one and a half years. That’s completely stupid.”
Wilcox will report into Ashworth, who is to take overall responsibility of football performance, recruitment and operations.
Ashworth spent time at West Bromwich Albion, the English FA and Brighton & Hove Albion before joining Newcastle in February 2022.
Their process to replace him is well underway and Dougie Freedman of Crystal Palace is among the candidates, as first reported by the Daily Mail.
Ratcliffe completed his minority investment into Manchester United earlier this year, with the Glazer family diluting their shares rather than leaving altogether.
Ratcliffe’s petrochemicals company INEOS bought an even split of Class B + Class A shares at $33 (£26) each for an overall cost of $1.3billion.