Brighton have given Dan Ashworth permission to speak to Newcastle about the vacancy for a director of football at St James’ Park.
Although Brighton hope to retain their technical director, they have decided it would be counterproductive to prevent the 50-year-old from talking to Amanda Staveley and her fellow Newcastle directors.
Ashworth, previously the Football Association’s technical director, is highly regarded. While at the FA he was credited with developing the so called “England DNA” and oversaw assorted men’s junior teams enjoying considerable tournament success before his departure in 2018.
It was also on Ashworth’s six-year FA watch that England women won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Cup in Canada and reached the final four of Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.
Although Newcastle are keen to overhaul the club’s academy and women’s team, their overriding priority is to keep their struggling side in the Premier League.
Given Newcastle are second bottom and have won one game, successful shopping in next month’s transfer window seems imperative if they are to defy the odds and survive.
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Staveley has recruited Nicky Hammond, the former Reading director of football, on a temporary basis to help with January recruitment, but Ashworth’s arrival could further bolster Eddie Howe’s hopes of turning this season around.
Despite Nolan Partners, the recruitment specialist engaged by Newcastle to fill their vacancy, speaking to different candidates, the search could end swiftly if Ashworth were to decide to cut short his rolling contract with Brighton.
