Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth believes the club can compete at the top of the Premier League sooner rather than later. By agreeing to pay Real Sociedad a total of £63m for the Swedish international striker Alexander Isak, who has scored two goals in three games since his high-profile move, the club’s new sporting director helped break their transfer record. Following the club’s £300 million Saudi-backed takeover, Ashworth left Brighton to assume the position earlier this year. He is aware the club may need to be savvier in subsequent windows as they tackle the FFP requirements.
“There isn’t a ceiling, in my opinion. But I halt since I am aware of how excellent the others are. Man City, Chelsea, and Arsenal are among clubs to catch if you look at how good their squads and infrastructure are,” Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth said. “Although it’s challenging, it is doable. Within one or two transfer periods, we have no God-given right. Bang, we need to be battling the top four. However, weird things do occasionally occur in football; just look at Leicester. I was aware of the supporters’ fervor. However, I continue to be shocked, whether it’s walking across the street for a lunch or the 50,000 people in the stadium.”
With the goal of generating more commercial revenue to aid in the organization’s fight against FFP, Newcastle’s new Chief Executive Darren Eales has joined Ashworth in the boardroom. Newcastle will be able to spend more in subsequent windows the more Eales can bring in. While acknowledging that they would likely cut back on expenditure in the upcoming transfer windows, Newcastle’s top-six aspirations are the former Atlanta United CEO’s responsibility. Following consecutive easy victories against Fulham and Brentford, Newcastle is currently sixth in the Premier League, ten points behind the league-leading Arsenal.
For more football news, click here