Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United.
Ashworth officially started work at Newcastle on June 6, 2022 and since then the club have progressed into European contenders in the Premier League. A mixture of good transfer business and excellent coaching from Eddie Howe and his staff have seen The Magpies secure a fourth place finish and Champions League qualification in Ashworth's first season at the club.
The current campaign has proven more difficult with Newcastle exiting the Champions League early while also being shackled on the transfer front by the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules.
But with Ashworth's future at the club uncertain, we've looked at every signing the club has made since the 52-year-old's arrival and ranked them in order of the impact they've made relative to the cost paid in order to determine which deals have been the most successful so far.
While Ashworth oversees Newcastle's transfer activity and recruitment, he is not directly responsible for every signing the club makes. He works with the likes of head coach Eddie Howe, head of recruitment Steve Nickson and academy manager Steve Harper to help the club's recruitment and development of players.
“Of all my roles, the one I’m most passionate about is opening up pathways for young players,” Ashworth said previously.
“The recruitment department might be busy looking at a right-back from overseas when there's one right under their noses in the academy.
“From a Premier League point of view - and I have been guilty of this - because you have so much money in relation to the majority of the other leagues in the world, you can compete for most players in the world."
Over half of the signings Newcastle have made since Ashworth's arrival have been youngsters who are yet to make a competitive first-team start for the side.
Here's a look at all the signings ranked...
1. Alfie Harrison - n/a
Joined from Manchester City in January 2024 for an undisclosed fee. Has impressed at youth level for City but it's too soon to gauge his impact at Newcastle though it could prove to be a smart piece of business in the years to come.
2. Sandro Tonali - 3/10
Joined from AC Milan for an Italian record £52million fee. After a dazzling debut, things derailed for the midfielder and he has since been ruled out until August due to a betting ban. While he could prove a good signing in the years to come, it has been an unfortunate piece of business by The Magpies so far.
3. Lewis Hall - 3/10
Hall joined on loan from Chelsea in 2023 with an obligation to buy for £28million. The 19-year-old has been used sparingly this season despite the club enduring an injury crisis. It's a strange situation.
4. Matt Targett - 4/10
Matt Targett was signed for £15million from Aston Villa following a successful loan spell. The left-back has struggled to hit the heights of his loan spell and has fallen behind Dan Burn in the pecking order at left-back. Injuries have also played a part.