‘I’d make them pay’ - Newcastle United urged to demand £20m for Dan Ashworth after Man Utd takeover update

Simon Jordan believes Newcastle United should demand as much money as possible from Manchester United for Dan Ashworth. The Red Devils, who have recently seen Sir Jim Ratcliffe complete his purchase of 27.7% of the club, are keen on adding Ashworth to their ranks to help spearhead their football operations.

The 52-year-old has been placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United with the Magpies reportedly demanding upwards of £10m in compensation for the former Brighton man. Some reports have suggested this figure could reach around £20m and Jordan believes the Magpies should stand strong and ‘rinse’ the Red Devils for every single penny.

Jordan told TalkSport: "Fair play to them. The challenge for football is if you're a lesser club, irrespective of who owns you, you will find yourself building something that is successful and someone else coming along and taking the fruits of your hard work. With Ashworth, Newcastle took him from? Brighton. They did to Brighton what's been done to them.

"That's the way the world works. And the challenge for them is to have the diligence, which they clearly have had, is to protect themselves from a perceived bigger football club just coming in and taking when it suits them with no consequence, or a sort of balancing act for the club that had him.

"He's been there for 20 months and been responsible for two or three hundred million on transfers. Most of them have worked out well and now he's gone to Man United. Fair play to Newcastle. If Newcastle can go to Man United 'you want him? You've got to pay for it'.

"Would I hold out for my £20million? Damn right I would. Damn straight I would. I'd make them pay every single last cent that I could possibly rinse out of them because they don't get to take my vision in the same way Newcastle had to pay compensation to Brighton.

"Man United have brought in £1.6billion worth of players over the last 10 years. Their recruitment policy has gone to the dogs, their development of young players has gone to the dogs - they're not a great football club at doing things on the pitch.

"So at this moment in time, if they bring somebody in that costs them £3m to £4m a year in wages and a £20m compensation fee and he's responsible for the next five years of a billion pounds on transfer fees, an X amount of wages then it's worth the money. This is what you pay."

Ashworth is wanted by the Red Devils to become their new sporting director after Manchester United confirmed that Ratcliffe had purchased a 27.7% stake in the club. Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales, meanwhile, confirmed earlier this week that a search for Ashworth’s replacement on Tyneside is underway.

Eales said: "We are naturally disappointed that Dan has chosen to leave, however our exciting journey doesn't stop and the process to recruit a new sporting director will begin immediately. We thank Dan for his efforts at Newcastle United and we wish him and his family well for the future."