Man United signed three of Dan Ashworth's 'four-man transfer shortlist' before his exit

Man United signed three of Dan Ashworth's 'four-man transfer shortlist' before his exit

Dan Ashworth departed Manchester United last season after just five months at the club, but not before he helped bring in players who were on his transfer shortlist

Dan Ashworth lasted just five months at Manchester United

The reign of Dan Ashworth as sporting director of Manchester United was one that crashed and burned in a matter of months.

The Englishman was a key target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe who had to wait over four months for Ashworth to officially start his role due to being put on gardening leave by former club Newcastle United.

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It was on July 1st last year that Ashworth officially joined the Red Devils and quickly got to work on a significant recruitment drive for then-boss Erik ten Hag following United's FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City.

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According to the Daily Mail, Ashworth was targeting four players in particular, and managed to sign three of them last summer – except for Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite. United saw a £35m bid rejected for him a year ago, and ultimately moved on to other options.

One of the players was well-known by Ten Hag, who was keen on reuniting with Matthijs De Ligt, with United forking out £42million to sign the former Ajax man from Bayern Munich.

In an attempt to provide Rasmus Hojlund with some support at the other end of the pitch, Ashworth triggered Joshua Zirkzee's £34m release clause from Bologna after the Dutchman had helped the club clinch Champions League football for the first time in almost 60 years.

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Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt were both on Dan Ashworth's transfer shortlist (Image: Getty )

Keen to welcome a new defensive midfielder – with Casemiro not showing the same impact he had made at Real Madrid at the time – a move for Manuel Ugarte was commissioned with Paris Saint-Germain willing to let the Uruguayan leave after just one season.

A bid of £40m was enough to secure the signature of the ex-Sporting CP star who ended up playing under Ruben Amorim once again following the Portuguese boss' appointment as Ten Hag's replacement last November.

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However, Ashworth never got to see the fruits – or lack-there-of – of his labour after mutually agreeing to leave United in December, just a month after Amorim's arrival. Over four months of the season had already gone by upon Ashworth's departure and the performances of those three players left a lot to be desired.

Despite De Ligt cultivating an impressive reputation in Europe since his teenage years, he struggled heavily in his first few months in Manchester and could not look settled in the centre of defence.

Manuel Ugarte disappointed for the most part in his debut season at Old Trafford

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While United went on to continue having a dour season under Amorim, the Dutchman became more comfortable in defence and has since led United fans to hope he remains a steadfast member of their backline for years to come.

The same can't be said for Joshua Zirkzee, whose presence in the squad still has United targeting a striker to aid in their goalscoring woes – a position the ex-Bayern Munich forward was supposed to fill.

The 24-year-old scored just seven goals in 49 games across all competitions, with just three coming in the Premier League. His future at the club could come into play should Amorim manage to lure former Sporting hitman Viktor Gyokeres to the club, although he is subject to strong interest from Arsenal. Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa is also on United's radar.

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Ruben Amorim and his Manchester United players have returned to Carrington today for pre-season training

In the case of Ugarte, the 24-year-old is adept at tackling and winning back possession such are the qualities of a defensive midfielder. However, he was criticised last season for his lack of progressive play with fans claiming his passing and athleticism are seriously lacking.

Amorim has a mighty job on his hands ahead of the 2025/26 season, and it remains to be seen just how much of a role these three players will play in the coming years at United.

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It looks as though there will be little chance of completing Ashworth's quartet any time soon, too. Branthwaite has now penned a new contract with Everton under former United boss David Moyes. The England international – now reportedly valued around the £70m mark – signed a new five-year deal earlier this week.

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