Dan Ashworth has already addressed his Newcastle United future as Man Utd story emerges

Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth has already addressed speculation linking him with Manchester United.

Ashworth joined the Magpies from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2022 and has overseen big changes, both on and off the pitch, after sealing Champions League qualification last season.

And his success has reportedly caught the attention of Man United. According to the Manchester Evening News, Ashworth is top of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's list.

Ratcliffe's INEOS Group is set to take control of the Old Trafford club's football operations once their 25 per-cent stake is ratified by the Premier League.

Ashworth has a long-standing relationship with Ratcliffe’s right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford, who hosted a presentation in front of the Newcastle squad in Portugal ahead of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign.

Speaking about Brailsford's visit, Ashworth said: "I’ve known Sir Dave for a number of years, working across various different sports and he is without doubt the best in world sport at creating high-performance culture and turning that into winning. There were some brilliant messages for us all and it was great to get him in at this point of pre-season."

Gary Neville recently suggested Ashworth would be a good fit for Man United after bumping into him during Newcastle's 3-0 victory in the Carabao Cup third round.

"On my way up to the gantry (last Wednesday) I bumped into Dan Ashworth. He has built a strong foundation for the new owners at Newcastle,’ said Neville. "He’s competent, highly qualified and knows what he’s doing. He will work with his coach, recruitment team and other departments coherently and calmly.

Neville's praise was put to Ashworth during a sitdown interview at the club's Benton training ground in November and he played down talk of him being lured away from Tyneside.

"First of all, I literally saw Gary when walking into the directors' box and he was going down the tunnel. I shouted 'hello' and that was it,’ said Ashworth. ‘I didn't have a conversation with Gary. I know him and Phil (Neville) from their England days. He's written some very kind things and thank you Gary.

"But it’s the same situation as Eddie [Howe], I think. I'm really happy, it's a brilliant city, club and project. I'm thoroughly engaged in throwing myself into all of those things and really enjoying the challenge."