MAN UNITED'S DAN ASHWORTH LEAVES AS SPORTING DIRECTOR - SOURCES

Dan Ashworth has left his position as sporting director at Manchester United after just five months, sources have told ESPN.

Ashworth officially arrived in July after a settlement -- running into millions of pounds -- was reached with former club Newcastle United.

The 53-year-old was seen as a key part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's revamp at Old Trafford along with technical director Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada. But he has departed after overseeing just one transfer window and less than a month after the arrival of new head coach Ruben Amorim.

Sources have told ESPN that Ashworth's move to Old Trafford has not worked out and a decision has been taken to part company. He was at Old Trafford for the 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Ashworth played a central role -- along with Wilcox and Berrada -- in choosing Amorim as Erik ten Hag's successor. Ten Hag was sacked in October after a miserable start to the new season.

Ashworth oversaw the arrival of five major signings in the summer, with Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee arriving for combined fees of more than £180 million ($229.3m).

Defeat to Forest left United 13th in the Premier League table with 19 points -- their lowest tally after 15 games since 1986. They face FC Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday and Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

MAN UNITED BOSS TEN HAG BACKES SANCHO TO 'CLICK' AFTER 'MISTAKE'

Jadon Sancho played his first match for Man United in almost a year against Rangers at Murrayfield on Saturday. Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has backed Jadon Sancho to "click" after his return to the club following a public fallout between the pair last season.

Sancho made his first appearance for Man United since last August in a preseason friendly against Rangers on Saturday.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at former club Borussia Dortmund, reaching the UEFA Champions League final, after publicly criticising Ten Hag in a social media post.

But after holding a meeting with Ten Hag earlier this month, Sancho has returned to training with the first team.

"We spoke well," told Dutch outlet AD Sportwereld before Saturday's 2-0 friendly win. "Everyone can make a mistake. If the player reflects on this well, you draw a line and move on.

"This club needs good players, and one thing is certain: Jadon Sancho is a very good player. I hope that we will still click and that he will contribute to our success."

Despite intense speculation over his future, Ten Hag signed a new contract to remain Man United manager this summer. The former Ajax boss took over at Old Trafford in 2022 from interim boss Ralf Ragnick, who had said that the club needed "open-heart" surgery in order to return to their former glories.

"Rangnick was absolutely right," Ten Hag added to AD Sportwereld. "We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation. And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job."

The structure in place around Ten Hag has changed dramatically in recent months following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as minority owner. Ten Hag described the early signs of working alongside new sporting director Dan Ashworth, technical director Jason Wilcox and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell as "very good."

Already this summer, United have signed teenage French defender Leny Yoro for an initial fee of €62 million ($67.6m), as well as Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee for more than €40 million ($43m) from Bologna.

The club also continue to hold an interest in defenders Matthijs de Ligt of Bayern Munich and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, sources have told ESPN.

"I will not specifically comment on whether or not we attract those two names," Ten Hag said in the interview. "It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come. I know Matthijs well and I will not deny that.

"I wanted to sign him two years ago but at that time, he was already very far along to join Bayern Munich but believe it or not, his name did not come from me in the process."

- ESPN