Graham Potter to replace Erik ten Hag after a ‘secret meeting’ with future United executive – Reports
Dan Ashworth is yet to be announced as the new executive of Manchester United. But the current Newcastle sporting director has plotted an early maneuver prior to his move to Old Trafford. The Sun reports that Ashworth holds a secret meeting with one candidate who happened to be former Brighton and Chelsea boss, Graham Potter.
Both Ashworth and Potter have worked together in Brighton. The reunion is likely to be materialised as the duo played a crucial role in building The Seagull’s fundamentals during the clubs early periods in Premier League. The duo went separate ways after Potter took the Chelsea job.
Graham Potter is Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s favourite
Potter has been unemployed since April last year. The Sun suggested that he was on the top list of United’s current operational boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The meeting with Ashword puts him in a favour in replacing Erik Ten Hag who struggles to bring United replicating last season’s performance.
Man United are currently sitting sixth at the table, trailing eight points from the Champions League zone. The Red Devils only hope to return to the most elite club’s competition in Europe next season is to secure fourth place, which is something that Ten Hag has been struggling with so far. Their latest shock was losing to Fulham at Old Trafford, which never happened in the past 21 years.
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Mirror also reports that Ashworth will take an executive role at United when Newcastle agree to pay out his compensation fee. Ashworth is a part of Rattcliffe’s first steps in taking over the operational aspect of the club after purchasing its minority shares.
Ratcliffe’s admiration of Ashworth’s work is not a secret. The second richest man in the UK gives a high rate on the former Norwich City academy student.
“I think Dan Ashworth is a ten out of ten sporting director – one of the best around,” he said to the BBC. “He would be very good for Manchester United. It is understandable that somebody like Dan would see the Manchester United job as a very interesting challenge at this stage of his career
Ultimately, you can’t really criticise Dan for looking at maybe the most coveted job in football as a sporting director – particularly with the challenge at Manchester United. What doesn’t make sense is for Dan Ashworth to be sat doing nothing for 18 months.”
Previously, Ratcliffe had hijacked Omar Berada from the rival Manchester City for chief executive role. And the recruitment operation is not stopping at Ashworth or Potter in the near future.
