Gary Neville sends message to Manchester United as Newcastle United set £20m Dan Ashworth price

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has urged his former club to be decisive in their move for Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth.

The Premier League rivals are believed to be ready themselves to enter into negotiations over an agreement that would see the former Football Association director of elite development take up a major role within a new look hierarchy at Old Trafford.

Talk of a move for Ashworth had dominated the headlines prior to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment at the 13-time Premier League champions and speculation has accelerated in recent days after he was given the green light to take control of football operations with the Red Devils. A first appointment came when former Manchester City director Omar Berrada was named as chief executive officer and there has been talk of moves for Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox and Chelsea chief analyst Kyle Macaulay.

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However, with Ashworth now believed to be on what could be a gardening leave period of two years and Newcastle holding out for a fee of over £15m, an agreement to take the Magpies man to Old Trafford appears to be some way off. Neville, who made over 600 appearances for his boyhood club, insisted the Red Devils should pay what they have to if they want to appoint Ashworth and avoid some of the missteps they have made in the transfer market in recent years.

He told Sky Sports: "If that’s the sporting director that they want and they want him to start straight away. He will have restrictions to not be able to work at another club in the same space for 12 months, I’m sure of that. Man Utd might say we can’t wait that long so we will pay for it. It is imperative that Man Utd get someone in place before the next transfer window.

"If you don’t pay £10m to get Ashworth out, and you get another window wrong, you could blow another £100m. So it’s important they get the right people in. What Man Utd need to do is stop the rot. When Man Utd phoned any club in Europe they were going 'here we go its bingo time we are about to get paid a load of money’. Ashworth won’t allow that to happen – he’s quite resilient and measured around those situations.”