Yasir Al-Rumayyan 'insulted' by Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Man Utd ahead of '£10m' Newcastle United deal

Newcastle and Manchester United were locked in heated discussions after an approach was made for the sporting director. Ashworth had only joined Newcastle less than two years prior and described his role at St James’ Park as a ‘long-term’ one before being offered a position at Man United.

Ashworth had been on gardening leave at Newcastle since February with a compensation settlement finally reached between the clubs in late June. The 53-year-old has started his position at Old Trafford, though his exit as reportedly left a bitter taste for The Magpies’ chairman.

According to iNews, Al Rumayyan was determined to only allow Ashworth to leave on Newcastle’s terms after being left ‘personally affronted by the former FA technical director’s professions of ignorance’ a feeling made worse after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s initial compensation offer of £2million.

The report adds Al-Rumayyan regarded the offer as ‘insulting’ before finally settling on a £10million fee last week.

Newcastle then moved to appoint Paul Mitchell as Ashworth’s replacement. The former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, RB Leipzig and AS Monaco man turned down a role at Manchester United before agreeing to join Newcastle as sporting director. Mitchell’s focus will be geared more towards recruitment and he will be given more control over potential transfers than Ashworth was previously. The 42-year-old arrived at St James’ Park with an impressive track record of successful signings at his former clubs.

Mitchell signed the likes of Sadio Mane, Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Victor Wanyama to help transform Southampton from a Championship club to a competitive top-half Premier League side. He also constructed a title-challenging side at Tottenham Hotspur with the signings of Kieran Trippier, Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Heung-Min Son.

Following confirmation of his appointment at Newcastle, Mitchell said: "It's with immense pride that I accept the responsibility of being Newcastle United's new sporting director.

“I've seen the recent growth and ambition of the club. This, plus the amazing fan base, made the decision to join an easy one.

"I can't wait to get started and help continue the organisation's growth and long-term competitiveness in all areas of elite football performance.”