It may be no coincidence that these links emerged around the same time as Dan Ashworth was finally confirmed as Manchester United’s sporting director.
After months of drawn-out negotiations, Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally got his way this week.
The Failsworth-born billionaire is not one of the planet’s most successful businessmen by accident. And the manner in which he refused to bow down to Newcastle’s demands before landing Ashworth for ‘significantly’ less than half of The Magpies’ £20 million asking price felt like a big win for a club looking to end an era of overpaying, per The Sun.
Are the days of ‘Manchester United tax’ over at last?
United are taking a similarly hardline stance regarding Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite – refusing to stump up £70 million and waiting for the Toffees to blink – while a deal for rival centre-half Matthijs de Ligt not only feels inspired from a sporting perspective but from a financial one too.
As German reporter Christopher Michel explains, not only are Bayern willing to let De Ligt go for a knockdown fee of £42 million,Erik ten Hag’s former Ajax captain is also happy to take a pay cut to make his move to Old Trafford happen.
And this is where Ashworth comes in.
Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester United could happen
Those De Ligt rumours went from zero to 60 almost straight after United made a breakthrough in their pursuit of the former Brighton chief on Monday, Ashworth beginning work immediately with the Red Devils.
That may just have something to do with Michel’s claims that Ashworth is a paid-up member of the De Ligt fanclub.
The reporter even writes, via Fussball News, that De Ligt was very high up on Ashworth’s wishlist at Newcastle United alongside Bayer Leverkusen ace and Bundesliga winner Odilon Kossounou.
“He is fully convinced of De Ligt’s sporting quality,” Michel writes on X.
Ashworth is not expected to be the main voice with regards to Man United’s recruitment – that will be the preserve of technical director Jason Wilcox and the newly-arrived Christopher Vivell – but his renowned expertise should prove extremely effective all across the board as those Ineos-driven changes continue to sweep like a hurricane through Old Trafford.
Dan Ashworth a big fan of Bayern Munich ace
Bayern will certainly not stand in De Ligt’s way either, despite a series of colossal performances in an admittedly mixed spell in Bavaria.
Constantin Eckner, another Bundesliga reporter, tells talkSPORT that Bayern are hot on the heels of Jonathan Tah as De Ligt’s replacement.
“It’s getting so hot that we might burn our fingers now! It’s getting really hot,” Eckner explains (2 July, 12pm), the race to become United’s first Ineos-era signing seemingly now a three-horse gallop between De Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee.
“Bayern are actually ready to sell Matthijs de Ligt. They are open to selling him and they are demanding £42 million plus add-ons. He’s played pretty well for Bayern, but Bayern want to overhaul their squad.
“They are closing in on the signing of Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen and he would be the one who replaces Matthijs de Ligt.
“There is something to be said about De Ligt’s overall performance for Bayern as being a bit of a rollercoaster,” Eckner adds.
“In the 2022/23 season, the second half of the season he was the best player in the Bundesliga! The first half, not so much.
“Sometimes, what might be a little bit off-putting – not to colour him in a bad light – he always wants to be the defensive boss. He wants to be the boss of the defence and when he is not doing well, coaches are like ‘why is he talking that way?’.
“He can still be a great centre-half.”
