Dan Ashworth has explained Man United's Manuel Ugarte transfer decision to Casemiro

Dan Ashworth has had a busy start to life at Manchester United since becoming the club's director of football.

It's been a long and often frustrating road for the former English FA and Brighton man who was on gardening leave from Newcastle for nearly four months. But since officially starting work at Old Trafford on July 1, two promising young players in Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro have been signed, whilst several more have left.

And United's business looks far from done after terms were agreed on Thursday with Paris Saint-Germain's defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan is a player who shone for Sporting CP two seasons again in the Champions League but has struggled to make an impact in France.

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Ugarte's struggles in Paris should be of some concern but the 23-year-old shouldn't be written off after one poor season. If a reasonable fee can be agreed with PSG then it's certainly a gamble worth taking.

Defensive midfield was at the heart of a lot of United's problems last season with age and injuries appearing to have caught up with a labouring Casemiro. The Brazilian has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia with Ugarte seen as his replacement.

Ashworth's work in Manchester is a clear sign of where he is planning to take United. The 53-year-old has already explained where he sees the role of young players in a clear nod to the club's traditions and the squad he is building.

"Of all the things I've learnt as a technical director, the big one is that it's about giving young people a chance," he said, speaking on the Training