MANCHESTER UNITED will have to pay significantly more than £10m in compensation if they want to release Dan Ashworth from a period of gardening leave that could extend to the end of the year.

While Manchester United’s new executive team, led by incoming chief Jim Ratcliffe, are yet to make a formal approach to Newcastle’s ownership group, Ashworth is understood to have informed the Magpies hierarchy of contact from Old Trafford.

Newcastle’s sporting director is keen to make the switch to Manchester United, where he will assume immediate control over the wide-ranging overhaul that is being planned following Ratcliffe’s purchase of a 20 per cent stake in the club.

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However, as things stand, the 52-year-old remains in Newcastle’s employ and is expected to attend Saturday’s Premier League game with Bournemouth at St James’ Park as planned.

Ashworth’s contract at St James’ Park contains clauses relating to his possible departure to another club, and it has been suggested that an initial compensation figure would be set at around £10m.

If Ashworth was to leave for Manchester United though, he would also be required to complete a lengthy period of gardening leave, which was also the case when he swapped Brighton for Newcastle.

The Magpies had to pay extra to release Ashworth from his ties at the Amex Stadium, and Manchester United would be required to do the same if they were to enable the former FA chief to begin work at Old Trafford in the next few months.

Newcastle’s owners will demand hefty additional compensation in order to waive Ashworth’s period of gardening leave, which would otherwise see him unable to work for Manchester United during the summer transfer window and potentially even prevent him from working for a rival club until 2025.

While Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghodoussi and the rest of the Newcastle board respect the job Ashworth has done in the last two years, they will not allow him to leave without extracting the maximum possible financial recompense before sanctioning his departure. Any decision would then have to be rubber-stamped by Magpies chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan.

Ashworth’s exit would be a blow to Newcastle, but sources claim there is confidence within the corridors of power at St James’ that it would not have a major negative impact on the club’s plans for this summer’s transfer window.

Plans are already in place for the summer, with further senior scouting meetings scheduled for the next week, and while Ashworth was heavily involved in the recruitment process, a large part of his role was focused on more long-termer strategic planning.