Manchester United

The 53-year-old moved to Old Trafford at the start of July following a period of gardening leave at former club Newcastle United.

However, according to The Athletic, Ashworth's time at Man United has now come to an end, with his departure said to have been agreed following Saturday's 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

The report claims that the Englishman's 'transition has not been smooth', and following a meeting with CEO Omar Berrada at Old Trafford on Saturday, it was agreed that Ashworth would depart.

Man United's new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to have been 'pivotal' in the final call, with it being decided that it would be best for Ashworth to leave just five months into his time at the club.

The Red Devils are therefore now on the lookout for a new sporting director during another turbulent period, with Ruben Amorim recently arriving as the new head coach.

Amorim suffered his first home defeat since arriving at Man United on Saturday, with the 20-time English champions going down 3-2 to Forest in the Premier League.

The Red Devils, who return to action against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday night, are yet to comment on the speculation surrounding Ashworth, although a statement from the club is expected to arrive in the near future.

Written by

Matt Law