How would Dan Ashworth leaving for Newcastle impact on Brighton?

Newcastle United could be about to make their first big money signing of the Saudi sports washing era but rather than it being Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappé on a billion petrodollar a year contract, the Toon Army want to fork out to take Brighton technical director Dan Ashworth to St James’ Park.

The Albion have given Ashworth permission to speak to Newcastle about their vacant sporting director role. Should he accept the job, Brighton would be in line for some serious compensation.

Money is obviously no problem for a club backed by 10 times the wealth of even Manchester City. Whether Dan Ashworth ups sticks after three years at Brighton will therefore come down to whether Newcastle can sell themselves as a better employer than the Albion.

We at least know that Tony Bloom has never invited someone he doesn’t like to a consulate and had a hit squad torture, suffocate and then dismember them before, so that is one advantage of remaining at the Amex.

Ashworth also knows that he has free reign to run the football side of things at Brighton as he sees fit, answering only to Bloom.

Newcastle’s management structure would appear to be a little more complicated, with Amanda Staveley. the Reuben Brothers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund and ultimately Mohammed Bin Salman – when he is not busy organising the murder of journalists – all involved.

How much freedom Ashworth would have to make decisions and sign things off on Tyneside is up for debate. And if he does not feel that he will have the power necessary to make a difference, then maybe he does not take the job.

Citing those couple of reasons for Ashworth to stay does feel rather like clutching at straws. The money backing Newcastle is one thing – it almost seems impossible to fail when the finances of a rich nation state are behind you.

If Ashworth plays a role in recruitment at Newcastle and identifies a new £30 million centre forward, then that is small change to Saudi Arabia. To Tony Bloom, it is a significant investment and one which the Albion will struggle to afford.

Then there is the opportunity the Newcastle job offers. Brighton’s ambitions are to become established in the top 10. The odd foray into European football is about as good as it is likely to get, unless the Albion are taken over by a billionaire with funds to compete with the mega-rich.

Newcastle are a different kettle of fish. To play a role in transforming them from perennial relegation candidates into champions of England and Europe – even if it has to come via next season in the Championship – would surely be too good to turn down.

The people who deliver a first league title for the Toon Army since the 1920s are going to be revered on Tyneside forever. Ashworth would have a genuine chance of writing himself into the history books if he plays a part in it.

So let us presume Ashworth is going to Newcastle. What impact would this have on Brighton? Reading the reaction to the news that he has permission to speak to Saudi Arabia, a fair few Albion fans were unbothered by Ashworth’s potential departure.

Much of this seems to stem from the fact that since his arrival in 2019, Brighton have failed to sign that 20-goal-a-season striker that Seagulls supporters so crave.

Recruitment though is only one of the many Albion pies which Ashworth has his fingers in. To say him leaving would be no bad thing because the Albion have not found a clinical centre forward of the type being sought by every other Premier League club outside of the European Super League six is to ignore all the good which Ashworth has done.

Much of that has come in his work on the academy. From Chris Hughton’s appointment as Brighton manager in December 2014 to his sacking in May 2019, only two academy products made league debuts.

James Tilley was given a couple of minutes in a dead rubber at Middlesbrough on the final day of the 2014-15 season. Rob Hunt played for 17 minutes as Brighton won 1-0 at Burton Albion in September 2016 after Bruno was forced off injured.

The player pathway from youth setup to development team to senior squad was non-existent. Since Ashworth’s arrival, a proper route has been put in place involving working through loan spells with lower league clubs to enable more academy players of a better quality than ever before to progress into Graham Potter’s first team.

Ben White is the crown jewel of Ashworth’s pathway, having become an England international who Brighton received £50 million for.

Robert Sanchez, Steve Alzate, Jeremy Sarmiento, Taylor Richards and Aaron Connolly have all progressed to become regulars in the Albion’s Premier League squad.

The likes of Reda Khadra, Leo Ostigard, Jan Paul van Hecke, Ryan Longman, Teddy Jenks and Carl Rushworth could all follow suit in the not-too-distant future after loan spells around the UK and Europe.

Another change instigated under Ashworth is Brighton shifting their transfer policy towards looking for young players with potential who they can polish into diamonds and look to sell on for a profit.

That has seen the age profile of the squad change dramatically since Hughton was replaced by Potter, the Albion going from having one of the oldest teams in the Premier League to one of the youngest.

Thanks to Ashworth, Brighton have developed a reputation as a club where players will get an opportunity to showcase their talent and progress.

Potential signings now look at the way Tariq Lamptey, Alexis Mac Allister and Jakub Moder have been seamlessly integrated into the senior setup and want to come to the Amex for the boost the Albion can give to their fledgling careers.

The impact of Ashworth’s time with the Albion in terms of immediate on-the-pitch results so far is up for debate. The style of football is clearly miles away from what Brighton served up in their first two Premier League seasons and there is lots to be excited about by the potential in the current Albion ranks.

But in terms of finishing position, the Albion are still yet to better the 15th delivered by Hughton in 2017-18 – over six months before Ashworth joined Brighton from his role at the FA.

The likelihood is that Ashworth’s work at Brighton will start having a greater impact a couple more years down the line, when all those players who now have a clear route to first team football begin fulfilling their potential.

We have already seen that with what Ashworth did during his time with the FA. His England DNA programme – launched in 2014 and designed to produce a world-class England team – is now paying off handsomely as Gareth Southgate leads a young Three Lions side who are only going to get better to semi finals and finals on a regular.

And that is why it would not be a disaster if Dan Ashworth left Brighton for Newcastle. Yes, he is one of the best technical directors in English football and finding a replacement of similar ability would be difficult.

But even if he goes, he has done his job by putting the processes in place that can help turn the Albion into a top 10 Premier League club. And that ultimately is why he was brought to Brighton.