'Very happy': Fabrizio Romano now explains Newcastle's stance on key man linked with move away

Newcastle United are bracing themselves for a fight to keep hold of one of the most important people at the club.

Sporting Director Dan Ashworth is being touted as a possible appointment for Manchester United when Jim Ratcliffe's proposed £1.25billion buy-in goes through.

Ashworth is understood to be good friends with Ratcliffe and the INEOS owner wants him to come with him to Manchester United to right the ship.

Losing Dan Ashworth so early into the project would be a blow

This would be a huge blow for Newcastle with Ashworth being installed as the main man to drive the PIF's project forward, but reports have claimed that Newcastle are already eyeing replacements should the worst happen.

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Now Fabrizio Romano has weighed in with his thoughts and he has stated that Newcastle are very happy with Ashworth and also praised Ashworth's professionalism suggesting that he doesn't expect him to walk away from the project at Newcastle so soon (via Caught Offside),

“There are many links with the Manchester United director job and Dan Ashworth is one name coming up in reports.

“The first step has to be how to structure the board; this is what INEOS people are discussing, if proceeding with one director or maybe a structure with two or three people working on club project. Talks are still ongoing internally.

“I rate Ashworth highly, he’s done some excellent work in the transfer market, he’s an excellent director. He’s a really top professional and it’s also important to say that Newcastle are very happy with him.”

Surely Ashworth has more integrity than to leave us high and dry

It's clear that the interest from Jim Ratcliffe is real, it's now just a case of whether Dan Ashworth can resist his mate and see out the project he was brought in to do at Newcastle, or if the lure of Manchester United is just too much for him.

We've already said that we think he'd be mental to take the Man United job given the state of that club right now. Newcastle was a mess when he came in, sure, but we had banished Mike Ashley completely when he arrived. The Glazers will still be lurking at Man United and that can't be a good environment to work in.

Time will tell we suppose.