Newcastle United are interested in bringing a highly-regarded sporting director to the club this summer, as they look to replace the outgoing Dan Ashworth.
Newcastle prepare for life after Dan Ashworth
The Magpies have been run so well in recent years, and while Eddie Howe has been the poster boy for their success, Ashworth’s influence has also been great, with the Englishman masterminding numerous signings, from Bruno Guimaraes to Alexander Isak.
He has revealed his desire to leave Newcastle for Manchester United at the end of the season, however, and has been placed on gardening leave, as the Magpies wait to hear if the Red Devils are willing to pay the £20m in compensation to bring him in. If not, he won’t be able to move to Old Trafford until his contract expires in 2026.
Replacing Ashworth is now at the top of the PIF’s priorities in the coming months and a recent update suggested that Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell is the primary target to be Ashworth’s successor, with the club holding internal talks over his appointment.
The 42-year-old is a highly-rated figure in his field, making a huge impact at Monaco and focusing on promoting youth – something that could appeal to Newcastle fans, following the emergence of the likes of Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley in recent years.
It looks as though Mitchell isn’t the only one being mentioned, however, as the search to replace Ashworth goes on.
Newcastle eyeing alternative to Paul Mitchell
According to The Telegraph, West Ham technical director Tim Steidten is an option for Newcastle this summer, being seen as an alternative to the Monaco ace. Brentford’s director of football Phil Giles is also mentioned as a candidate to head to St James’ Park in the summer, as is former Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto.
Steidten stands out as a strong option for Newcastle to bring in as sporting director, considering the impressive career he has forged for himself, enjoying spells with the likes of Werder Bremen, Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham. He has been praised for his job with the Hammers by Fabrizio Romano, namely for his ability to maintain key players amid interest from mega clubs, something Newcastle fans will surely be pleased to hear.
His time at Leverkusen meanwhile saw him strike a strong working relationship with Xabi Alonso, leading to him being linked with the sporting director role at Liverpool, should the Spaniard replace Jurgen Klopp as manager at the end of the campaign. A report stated that he is “highly regarded in recruitment circles after his impressive work at Bayer Leverkusen, helping the club sign the likes of Florian Wirtz, Edmond Tapsoba and Jeremie Frimpong”.
The fact that Steidten already knows the Premier League well could be an added bonus for Newcastle, following one year at West Ham, although one potential red flag is his rumoured rocky relationship with David Moyes, which has been described as “complicated”.
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Newcastle working intermediaries as talks held over new sporting director
The Magpies are looking to speed things up…
PIF must ensure that they are bringing in someone who will work seamlessly alongside Howe, with the decision over the next sporting director such an important one moving forward, in terms of nailing signings and bringing stability behind the scenes.
