Manchester United Eye New Director of Football Strategy to Boost Academy

Manchester United are reportedly looking to boost their failing academy by appointing a director of football strategy, with the FA's Dan Ashworth one of the key names on the shortlist.

According to the Sun's Martin Blackburn, the Red Devils are looking to act fast to boost their youth ranks as neighbours Manchester City "go from strength to strength."

The report indicated that the main aim of of the new director will be to increase the number of youth-team graduates being promoted into the first team.

Ashworth is currently the FA's technical director and has previously succeeded in youth development at Peterborough United, Cambridge United and West Bromwich Albion.

He would most certainly be a qualified figure to come in at United, while former player Nicky Butt has also been approached to take up a role, but he has yet to commit, per Blackburn.

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United set the gold standard in youth development during the Premier League era under Sir Alex Ferguson, when six members of the so-called Class of '92 went on to great things in the Red Devils first team—including the 1999 treble victory.

However, in recent years, United's youth teams have declined.

With the academy once a breeding ground for the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Butt and David Beckham, the most high-profile names to emerge recently have been Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck, neither of whom made the grade at Old Trafford.

United's under-21s side are currently second in the Premier League, but the under-18s are second from bottom of the North Division, having lost 10 games in a row. 

For a club of United's stature and reputation, that is not good enough, and they are clearly putting a plan in place to rectify the situation as quickly as possible.