Newcastle United are looking for a new Sporting Director following Dan Ashworth’s statement that he wants to join Manchester United.
Newcastle was left in a difficult situation when the director they appointed to basically manage the club for the next five to ten years abruptly resigned to join a Premier League rival after just two years at the club.
Newcastle had identified Paul Mitchell, who is now unemployed, as a potential replacement, with journalist Ben Jacobs telling GiveMeSport that the director would prefer a move to the Premier League.
Newcastle want director with brilliant track record
Mitchell has previously worked with Southampton, Tottenham, RB Leipzig, and, most recently, AS Monaco, where he has helped to discover some of the best football talents of the modern era.
Some of his most notable transfers were Sadio Mane to Southampton, Heung-Min Son to Tottenham, and Matheus Cunha and Nordi Mukiele to Leipzig.
With Ashworth gone, Newcastle would prefer to appoint someone with a similar track record in the game who can step in and get to work right away, building on what the former Brighton man had started.
Aside from Mitchell’s desire to work in England, one factor that should work in Newcastle’s favor is the resources that the club now has under new ownership, since it is one of the most intriguing projects in football and difficult to turn down.
Regarding Mitchell, Jacobs stated, “There are a few names that Newcastle may look to. Tiago Pinto, Roma’s leaving player, is one possibility. Paul Mitchell is a free agent as well. Manchester United has already considered him, and he prefers to work in the Premier League.
“I think that what we saw from Newcastle when they employed Ashworth is that they put a heavy emphasis on Premier League experience too.”
Newcastle must make the right appointment
Mitchell appears to be an excellent contender for the position and has a solid track record, but Newcastle will want to avoid repeating their error of choosing Ashworth as director.
Ideally, discussions regarding the future and Mitchell’s long-term intentions would take place to guarantee that they do not find themselves in a predicament similar to their current one.
Of course, whoever Newcastle choose to appoint will be highly protected, as they are still asking £20 million for Ashworth, and given the circumstances, it would not be surprising if they protect this new director even more tightly.
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