Newcastle journalist Liam Kennedy has commended PIF on the impending appointment of Dan Ashworth as director of football.Â
The lowdown
The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported in December that Brighton and Hove Albion had given Newcastle permission to speak to Ashworth about the role.
And The Seagulls confirmed on Monday that the 50-year-old would be leaving the club.
Following a period of gardening leave, he’s expected to join Newcastle and become PIF’s first executive appointment (via BBC Sport).
The latest
Kennedy took to Twitter on Monday morning to offer his reaction after hearing the news.
He wrote that it was ‘a seriously good appointment’ by the new regime at St James’ Park.
The Newcastle World journalist is excited that the club are ‘starting to make big moves’.
The verdict
Ashworth boasts an impressive track record at Brighton, certainly when it comes to transfers.
He’s overseen a recruitment team that’s spotted bargains. For instance, they paid Chelsea just over £1million to sign Tariq Lamptey, and less than two years later, reports suggest it will take £40million to prise him away.
In terms of outgoings, he was able to negotiate a £52.65million fee for Ben White, a player who came up from the Under-18s and had only played in the Premier League for a single season.
But the challenge may be different at Newcastle. Ashworth may relish the opportunity to pull the strings at one of the world’s richest clubs, but the ambitious ownership may be expecting ready-made stars rather than rough diamonds or lesser-known talents.
In other news, Paddy Kenny reacts to a transfer update on Jamal Lewis.