After reporting yesterday that Newcastle and Brighton were back in talks to agree a compensation package for Technical Director, Dan Ashworth, it has emerged today that talks were short and sweet and that Ashworth could be set to take up his new position next week.
This morning, The Mag have claimed that Ashworth will be in place before the transfer window opens, as the Newcastle hierarchy would have hoped. The agreed fee hasn’t yet been disclosed but it is believed to be less than the £5m that Brighton were holding out for.
Dan Ashworth’s duties will be wide and varied at Newcastle as he will aim to bring in a structure and ethos to the club much like he did at Brighton who are now Premier League mainstays, thanks, in no small part, to the work Ashworth has done behind the scenes.
The 51 year old’s focus won’t just be the first team, but the entire club, encompassing the women’s team and academy, as well as the sports science division. However, for fans, the most exciting prospect is having someone with Ashworth’s experience and connections pulling the strings when it comes to transfers.
Having a club with a clear direction and identiy is going to feel alien to a large contingent of Newcastle fans who have only known the club in the Ashley era. Older fans will be looking forward to having their club back and feeling a part of it again. It’s highly unlikely we’ll see the days of fans being allowed into the training ground like the Keegan days, but you can bet there’ll be a lot more fan engagement coming up.