“There’s obviously a lot of waste in the player recruitment process and that is why the club is spending a lot of money without getting the value worth. Now I’ll bring in new strategies to change this and I have the perfect strategy to bring in Zirkzee and de Ligt within this week” – Dan Ashworth hints at ‘drastic waste’ and how he would transform Manchester United’s recruitment strategy” WOW, this man is ready for serious business 😳❤️ He has identified the problems and offered the solution as well 😳❤️ The future of Manchester United seem really bright 😳❤️🌞
Manchester United’s summer transfer activities have a notable Dutch influence. Expected additions to the coaching staff include Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rene Hake, while Erik ten Hag is targeting Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich and Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for the first team.
If these transfers are successful, the count of Dutch players or those with Eredivisie experience at United will reach nine, highlighting Ten Hag’s significant impact on the club’s transfer strategy.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, when Ineos acquired a stake in the club, aimed to minimize the manager’s control over transfers. He emphasized the importance of a strong organizational structure, advocating for a setup where the coach doesn’t directly report to the chief executive.
In the new structure, Dan Ashworth serves as the sporting director, reporting to Jean-Claude Blanc (soon to be Omar Berrada), with Jason Wilcox as technical director and Christopher Vivell handling a focused recruitment role.
Ashworth’s appointment is expected to shift the transfer decision-making process, reducing Ten Hag’s influence compared to his initial two summer windows. Previously, under the Glazers and with Richard Arnold prioritizing commercial success, Ten Hag had a considerable role in transfer decisions.
Ashworth, renowned for his keen recruitment skills, will now play a pivotal role beyond just transfers. At Brighton, he allowed head of recruitment Paul Winstanley to lead deals, a practice he may continue at United.
In a December 2020 interview with Training Ground Guru, Ashworth emphasized the need for a collaborative approach, ensuring that Ten Hag’s input remains, though slightly reduced under a new contract.
“If I sign a player that Graham [Potter] doesn’t like or want, it’s a drastic waste of resources. Ultimately, Graham has got to pick 11 players that he thinks will give him the best chance of winning,” Ashworth said.
“If he doesn’t rate the attributes in a player that I do, then we are going to invest a transfer fee, salary, and agent’s fee for a player that Graham doesn’t rate or want and who is unlikely to play.
“So how do we work here? Well, we agree on the areas of the pitch that Graham wants to improve. Our first step is ‘what have we already got in the system?’ There have been times when Graham has said: ‘I’d rather work with what we’ve got and make them better than sign a player for the sake of it.’
“But if we haven’t got that position in the U23s or out on loan, then we need to go into the market.”
Ashworth cited the example of Potter wanting a more physical striker, leading them to pursue Danny Welbeck. This summer, Ten Hag’s priorities are a central defender and a striker, with De Ligt being an obvious choice due to his past relationship with Ten Hag.
Ashworth will also leverage his own instincts and contacts. For instance, he became familiar with Tariq Lamptey during his time with England’s youth teams. Noticing Lamptey’s situation at Chelsea, where he was blocked by Reece James, Ashworth identified him as a viable target for Brighton, where Lamptey has thrived.
