In light of Dan Ashworth’s departure from Manchester United the focus on and demand for top-quality sporting directors has never been higher. So it’s imperative that many clubs adopt robust processes to truly understand the performance of Sporting Directors. We’ve used our models to rank the top 10 sporting directors globally through an assessment of four areas:

1. The level at which they have operated
2. The performance trajectory of their club(s)
3. Their club’s record of buying ‘low’ and growing value
4. Their club’s net transfer income

Many familiar names fill the top places, but in the weeks ahead we’ll be revealing some of the lesser known names who are excelling in key aspects of sporting operations.  A good recruitment process should have access to the best possible information as a means to identify candidates and at least probe and question them, if not make an objective judgement on actual quality.