Sporting director Dan Ashworth shines light on his Manchester United plans

The summer transfer window at Old Trafford is in full swing with Manchester United making eye-catching decisions under new leadership.

Firstly, it was INEOS who showed ruthlessness and decisiveness by reshaping United’s football structure, bringing in Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox, and Dan Ashworth from top English clubs to oversee the club’s football strategy moving forward.

Now, the three men are showing their quick decision-making in the transfer market. In Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, the Red Devils have uncharacteristically made two major signings before the start of the pre-season tour.

New sporting director Ashworth shared his thoughts on both signings during the club’s announcements. Now, the former Newcastle United man has addressed fans through a column to outline his wider vision for the 20-time league champions.

Shedding light on his first major decision at the club, Ashworth wrote: “Our first big decision of the summer was to extend Erik ten Hag’s contract as men’s first-team manager to June 2026, reflecting our strong belief in him as one of Europe’s top coaches, and the partner we want to continue working with to get the team back to the levels expected.”

United took more time than expected to publicly back Ten Hag after the FA Cup triumph, but Ashworth has insisted the new figures have avoided wasting any crucial time this summer.

“Omar Berrada has started as chief executive, and Jason Wilcox as technical director, and I can assure you that we have lost no time in getting to work,” he added.

Ashworth further revealed that he and Wilcox are focused on creating “the right support structures and environment” around Ten Hag and his players to ensure United can replicate the FA Cup final performance on a consistent basis moving forward.

The sporting director ended his column with a strong message, stating: “This remains one of the biggest football clubs in the world, but that is not our measure of success; the focus is on getting back to being among the best on the pitch. It won’t happen overnight, but, together with Omar and his new leadership team, we will not rest until we have achieved it.”

However, in order to achieve the desired results, the club’s hierarchy needs to ensure Ten Hag is handed more new players, especially in midfield.

With Sofyan Amrabat now at Fiorentina, Casemiro is currently the only senior defensive midfielder at the Dutch coach’s disposal.

Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming the Premier League giants have agreed personal terms with Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

However, there remains a gap in valuation between United and Paris Saint-Germain. The two clubs are also competing for Benfica’s midfield sensation, João Neves.

It will be interesting to see how Ashworth and company will approach United’s midfield predicament this summer. In the meantime, it is refreshing for United fans to hear directly from the club’s sporting director, something that never happened under the previous incumbent, John Murtough.

Want to be the first to hear breaking Man United news? For carefully selected, crucial updates, join our WhatsApp channel: https://bit.ly/United-Breaking-News.