Newcastle United told by former Premier League owner to 'rinse' Manchester United in Dan Ashworth talks

Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has told Newcastle United to rinse Manchester United for every last penny during negotiations for Dan Ashworth.

The Magpies announced on Monday that Ashworth had been placed on gardening leave after the sporting director informed the club of his desire to move to Old Trafford just 20 months after joining from Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ashworth's gardening leave doesn't expire until January 2026, meaning if the Red Devils want him now, then they'll to pay, and the suggestions are Newcastle will demand a compensation package worth £20million.

When that figure was put to Jordan, he replied: "Fair play to them." Speaking on talkSPORT, the 56-year-old explained: "The challenge for football is if you're a lesser club, irrespective of who owns you, you will find yourself building something that is successful and someone else coming along and taking the fruits of your hard work. With Ashworth, Newcastle took him from? Brighton. They did to Brighton what's been done to them.

"That's the way the world works. And the challenge for them is to have the diligence, which they clearly have had, is to protect themselves from a perceived bigger football club just coming in and taking when it suits them with no consequence, or a sort of balancing act for the club that had him.

"He's been there for 20 months and been responsible for two or three hundred million on transfers. Most of them have worked out well and now he's gone to Man United. Fair play to Newcastle. If Newcastle can go to Man United 'you want him? You've got to pay for it'.

"Would I hold out for my £20million? Damn right I would. Damn straight I would. I'd make them pay every single last cent that I could possibly rinse out of them because they don't get to take my vision in the same way Newcastle had to pay compensation to Brighton.

"Man United have brought in £1.6billion worth of players over the last 10 years. Their recruitment policy has gone to the dogs, their development of young players has gone to the dogs - they're not a great football club at doing things on the pitch.

"So at this moment in time, if they bring somebody in that costs them £3m to £4m a year in wages and a £20m compensation fee and he's responsible for the next five years of a billion pounds on transfer fees, an X amount of wages then it's worth the money. This is what you pay."

While Newcastle await further contact from Manchester United, CEO Darren Eales has already confirmed the search for Ashworth's successor is already underway.