Man Utd face potential TRANSFER BAN after contract breach

Cameron Smith

• 31 May 2024 10:15 BST
• 4 min read

Manchester United could face the possibility of being handed a transfer ban due to the actions of Dan Ashworth and Omar Berrada.

This summer marks a new era at Old Trafford, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team taking charge of all football operations, most notably transfer activity.

There have already been mass changes under INEOS’ leadership, including Jason Wilcox’s arrival as Technical Director and Berrada’s appointment as CEO.

READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024 - All the Done Deals

The former joined Man Utd from Southampton, while the latter was poached from great rivals Manchester City.

INEOS’ revolution at Old Trafford shows no signs of stopping either, with the aforementioned Ashworth expected to become Man Utd’s Sporting Director by the end of the year.

The former FA employee currently holds that position at Newcastle United, but he was placed on gardening leave in February following Man Utd’s approach.

However, Ashworth and Berrada could land the Red Devils in hot water following their conversation in early 2024.

READ MORE: Why Man Utd hired former Man City chief Omar Berrada

Why Man Utd could be handed a transfer ban

In February, Berrada contacted Ashworth while he was still actively employed by Newcastle. Berrada himself was on gardening leave following his Man City exit and their conversation was blind-copied to Ashworth’s Newcastle-affiliated email address.

As a result of their interaction, Man Utd could face a severe punishment.

By communicating with Ashworth in a bid to appoint him at Man Utd, Berrada broke the terms of his Man City gardening leave, meaning he is now at risk of legal action being taken against him. Ashworth also faces potential charges after breaching his Newcastle contract.

Furthermore, Man Utd face the prospect of being handed tapping-up charges.

The Premier League have previously handed out fines for illegal tapping-up, including Ashley Cole’s move to Chelsea in 2006.

Liverpool were also accused of tapping-up Virgil van Dijk during his time at Southampton. In addition, the Reds were found guilty of tapping-up a Stoke City youngster in 2017, which resulted in a two-year ban from signing academy players from English clubs and a £100,000 fine.

The most recent transfer ban in the English top flight was handed to Chelsea after 150 rule breaches involving 69 academy players over several seasons.

The severity of Man Utd’s punishment will be decided by the Premier League’s independent judgement panel, but a transfer ban is one of the Red Devils' possible punishments.