Yasir Al Rumayyan's reaction to 'insulting' Manchester United offer as Newcastle United confirm new recruit

Ashworth joined from Brighton & Hove Albion in June 2022 to a fanfare. However, just 20 months later and the move turned sour after the 53-year-old signalled his intention to join Manchester United.

He was placed on gardening leave in February following an approach from the Red Devils and it remained that way until earlier this week when the two clubs finally agreed a compensation package.

In a joint-statement, it was announced that the terms of the agreement will remain confidential. According to iNews, the settlement was £10million.

The same publication also reports that Al-Rumayyan was adamant Ashworth would only be allowed to leave on the Magpies’ terms and was left “personally affronted by the former FA technical director’s professions of ignorance”. That feeling was “exacerbated by what he regarded as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s insulting first compensation offer of £2m.”

The situation saw Newcastle’s Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia owners become more involved, a key reason as to why they were able to appoint the highly-rated Paul Mitchell as Ashworth’s successor on Thursday.

It’s understood Mitchell will be given greater control over recruitment compared to Ashworth, whose role strategic and club-focused. His recruitment success as director of scouting and analysis at Southampton helped the club to secure promotion back to the Premier League and become regular competitors in the top half of the table, despite having a lower budget.

Mitchell further cemented his reputation during a successful spell as head of recruitment at Tottenham Hotspur, where he signed the likes of Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-min. He worked closely with Mauricio Pochettino, similar to the pair’s time at Southampton.

After leaving Spurs, Mitchell joined RB Leipzig as head of recruitment and club development before moving into a new role as technical director in Red Bull's global football division. He then joined Monaco in 2022 as sporting director.

On accepting the role at Newcastle, Mitchell said: : "It's with immense pride that I accept the responsibility of being Newcastle United's new sporting director. I've seen the recent growth and ambition of the club. This, plus the amazing fan base, made the decision to join an easy one.

"I can't wait to get started and help continue the organisation's growth and long-term competitiveness in all areas of elite football performance."