Newcastle United are considering making a move for a director of football who works on a “shoestring”, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Newcastle’s Ashworth replacement search
The Magpies will be looking to make plenty of new signings in the summer transfer window, but replacing sporting director Dan Ashworth is arguably more important than anything.
He will likely to join Manchester United in the near future, assuming the Red Devils pay the rumoured £20m compensation to get him, leaving a gaping void high up at St James’ Park.
It is essential that Newcastle bring in a similarly impressive figure in the role, with Monaco ace Paul Mitchell emerging as a strong rumoured target in recent weeks, potentially liking the idea of joining the Magpies.
He impressed at Southampton in the past, proving to be a mastermind behind deals for the likes of Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama, with the former going on to become a world-class player at Liverpool.
Newcastle eyeing Paul Mitchell alternative
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said that Brentford ace Phil Giles could be seen as Ashworth’s ideal replacement at Newcastle this summer.
“Newcastle are still searching for a new sporting director, and that is why there are a range of candidates. I think Phil Giles is the other name to keep an eye on. He is at Brentford, but he and his whole family are big Newcastle fans.
“When you look at the Newcastle recruitment, I think the clue is in Dan Ashworth. Newcastle went to Brighton, not only because their model is one of the best in the business, but it is a well-run club. Brighton know how to find young talent and, at times, work within financial constraints.
“Newcastle are a massive club. If they get Champions League qualification season-on-season, things might change. But, right now, the Newcastle model requires ambition and the ability to unearth talent while working on much more of a shoestring compared to some of the other big clubs contending for European football and the Champions League.”
Giles certainly stands out as a great option for Newcastle this summer, and while his expertise as a director of football or sporting director is the most important thing, the fact that he is a boyhood Magpies supporter has to be seen as an added bonus.
It would suggest that he could be even more driven to bring great success to the club, and the work he has done at Brentford has played a key role in them becoming an established Premier League team, enjoying a strong working relationship with Thomas Frank.
The fact that Giles spent seven years as the Bees’ sporting director until 2022, before becoming their director of sport, shows how highly he is thought of at the club, and his expertise when it comes to recruitment, scouting players and developing young players could help make up for the loss of Ashworth at Newcastle.
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He left the club for £7m back in 2018.
Described as “The Man Who Helped Build Brentford FC” by the High Performance Podcast, with his focus on “risk, positivity and humility” also mentioned, he could be an exciting appointment on Tyneside.
