Newcastle have attempted to soften the blow of Dan Ashworth’s move to Manchester United by appointing Paul Mitchell as their new sporting director.
Mitchell most recently held the same role at Monaco and before that held senior management roles at RB Leipzig, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, where he specialized in recruitment.
The 42-year-old, who initially moved into scouting after injury ended his career at the age of 27, now fills the void left at St James’ Park when Ashworth went on gardening leave in February.
Mitchell’s appointment has been approved as Newcastle and United were locked in a row over the former FA technical director’s pay, but Ashworth is now employed at Old Trafford as the issue was finally resolved last weekend.
It is believed he will focus more on recruitment than Ashworth, who has a wider role at the Saudi-controlled club but will still be involved in various areas, including Newcastle Women’s football team.
Mitchell joins as Newcastle United narrowly escape concerns over possible profit and sustainability breaches after selling Jancuba Minter and Elliot Anderson to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively for an initial fee of around £50,000. Development Rules (PSR) and possible penalty points. It is understood that reaching a settlement with Manchester United will help their efforts to balance the books.
With the new PSR cycle starting this week, Newcastle are now expected to replenish Eddie Howe’s squad, with Mitchell set to play a key role in that. “I’ve seen the growth and ambition of the club recently,” he said. “This, combined with the amazing fan base, made the decision to join an easy one. I can’t wait to help the organization continue to grow and remain competitive long-term in all areas of elite football performance.
Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales, another former Tottenham Hotspur employee, said: “Paul has a wealth of diverse experience in football leadership, culture change and recruitment, which means he is ideally placed to lead our sporting board. ideal candidate.
Meanwhile, Newcastle midfielder Lewis Miley suffered a serious foot injury in training, with Howe expected to be ruled out until October. Miley performed well after entering the first team last season, but suffered a back injury while playing international matches for England Under-20s in March and returned to the club early in order to speed up his planned full recovery. Instead, he is now scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday before a three-month layoff.
