Ruben Amorim 'at centre of Dan Ashworth exit' as Man Utd 'tipping point' emerges

Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Manchester United was reportedly the ‘tipping point’ for Dan Ashworth, who has left his position at Old Trafford in a surprise development.

The 53-year-old joined the Red Devils as their sporting director five months ago but has already vacated the role. United have presented it as a mutual decision but other reports have suggested that Sir Jim Ratcliffe was the main instigator.

Ashworth’s time at United may have been doomed from the very first day, with talkSPORT suggesting that he felt ‘sidelined from the big decisions’ almost immediately.

It is said that he felt undermined by Sir Dave Brailsford and Omar Berrada calling the shots at Old Trafford, while a ‘clash of personalities’ may have also contributed to his exit.

The report adds that United’s decision to appoint Amorim as their new manager was the ‘tipping point’ for Ashworth. He was said to have favoured the idea of recruiting a British head coach, such as Gareth Southgate, to lead the Red Devils.

Other reports have claimed that Ashworth did not see eye-to-eye with Ratcliffe behind the scenes. The INEOS chief was said to have been furious that his sporting director insisted on sticking with Erik ten Hag in the summer, a decision which fell flat.

It remains to be seen how United will move forward with Ashworth no longer at the club. His exit came as a great surprise, given the amount of time and money invested by the Red Devils in poaching him from Newcastle.

United confirmed the news on Sunday morning with a blunt statement, which read: “Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as sporting director of Manchester United by mutual agreement.

“We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future.”

Ratcliffe, meanwhile, dropped a clear hint that a significant change was about to be made before Saturday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Speaking to the United We Stand fanzine, he said: “There is major change to come to achieve elite status. If you shy away from the difficult decisions, then nothing much is going to change.

“Manchester United must have the best recruitment in the world. You can’t just flick a light switch and sort out recruitment. It’s all about people and we need to find the right ones.”