Report: Eddie Howe really pushed for Newcastle to appoint sporting director before Paul Mitchell announcement
07/04/2024 02:45 PM
Newcastle United may have confirmed the appointment of Paul Mitchell as their new sporting director, but it turns out that it was another candidate who previously had huge support from Eddie Howe behind the scenes.
Newcastle will hope that the events of the last couple of weeks have set the stage for the Magpies to make a real statement over the rest of the summer transfer window. They have sold the likes of Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson, and they now have a new sporting director.
After months of speculation, Dan Ashworth‘s time on Newcastle’s books is over – and it is Paul Mitchell who has replaced him on Tyneside.
It seems that Mitchell’s appointment has come as a bit of a surprise, with the 42-year-old certainly not the only name in the frame.
Eddie Howe really pushed for Newcastle to land another sporting director
In fact, according to a report from I News, Newcastle thought at one point in May that they had persuaded Dougie Freedman to make the move from Crystal Palace and take the role.
Freedman has opted to stay at Selhurst Park, and it seems that Eddie Howe was one of those who were left incredibly disappointed by the decision, with I News reporting that he was a huge advocate of the Scot.
How Newcastle boss feels about Paul Mitchell
The good news is that Howe is reportedly also a fan of Mitchell, and actually encouraged the club to speak with him before his appointment. Newcastle fans will hope that that partnership proves to be extremely successful, as they have already had a glimpse of the potential the club now has.
Newcastle are looking to bounce back from a much more underwhelming season last year, so Mitchell has an opportunity to almost immediately win a lot of support from the Toon Army.
Hopefully for the Magpies, Howe finds that the club missing out on what appears to have been his preferred candidate proves to be something of a blessing in disguise.
