Brighton’s highly regarded technical director Dan Ashworth has resigned from his post on the south coast as he closes in a move to Newcastle United, where he is set be handed a key role in shaping the club’s plans for rapid growth under new Saudi ownership.
Ashworth built a strong reputation in English football after his success in a sporting director role at West Brom which led to his appointment as the FA’s director of elite development. He is credited with instilling the ‘England DNA’ which brought a shared identity and continuity through England’s different age groups, and Ashworth’s work was hailed by manager Gareth Southgate when he left the FA for Brighton.
Ashworth’s role at the Amex had been to link together and align several key elements of the club such as the men’s and women’s teams and the academy, as well as the recruitment, medical and psychology departments. His role at Newcastle is likely to be similarly overarching as he guides the club through a transformative phase.
Earlier this season Newcastle were bought from previous owner Mike Ashley by a consortium made up partly of British business figures Amanda Staveley and the Ruben Brothers, and led by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), with the wealth fund’s governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan installed as club chairman.
The club had been linked to a number of names including former Chelsea director Michael Emenalo and Barcelona’s former technical secretary Ramon Planes, but it appears Ashworth has won the race for one of the biggest jobs in the Premier League. He will need to forge close relationships with manager Eddie Howe and the head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, as they look to quickly improve the team.
Newcastle have already invested heavily in the playing squad since the takeover, spending more money on incoming transfers than any club in world football in January with the signings of Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Matt Targett, the latter on loan, in an effort to remain in the Premier League – they are currently 19th, one point from safety, with only two wins all season.
Brighton have installed the former Scotland and Everton defender David Weir as acting technical director, stepping up from his role as Ashworth’s assistant.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said: “On a personal level, I will be sad to see Dan leave as we’d developed a close day to day working relationship. However, we are always conscious of risk of losing key staff to a rival. With that in mind, we always put in place contingencies and succession plans.”
