Newcastle appoint Paul Mitchell as sporting director after Ashworth exit

Newcastle have tried to lessen the impact of losing Dan Ashworth to Manchester United by hiring Paul Mitchell as their new sporting director. Mitchell previously worked as the equivalent role at Monaco and also held high-level positions at RB Leipzig, Tottenham, and Southampton, focusing on recruitment.

The 42-year-old started working as a scout after his playing days were cut short by injury at 27. Now, he is taking over at St James' Park after Ashworth was put on gardening leave in February.

Newcastle and Manchester United argued over payment for the ex-FA technical director but, after settling the issue last weekend and hiring Ashworth, Mitchell's hiring has been approved.

He is expected to place more emphasis on hiring new players compared to Ashworth, who had a more general role at the club. However, he will still be participating in various areas, such as the women's team.

Mitchell has come to Newcastle at a time when the club has just avoided a points deduction for possibly breaking profit and sustainability rules. They managed to do this by selling Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to Brighton and Nottingham Forest for around £60m. It is believed that reaching an agreement with the club also helped to improve the financial situation.

Newcastle has started a new cycle for player recruitment this week. Mitchell is going to be a crucial part of this process. He mentioned that he was impressed by the club's progress and goals. The strong support from the fans also played a big part in his decision to join. He is excited to contribute to the team's success and improve their performance in elite football.

Darren Eales, who used to work with Tottenham and is now the chief executive of Newcastle, stated that Paul's broad and varied background in football leadership, cultural transformation, and recruitment makes him the perfect candidate to head our sports management team.

Newcastle's midfielder Lewis Miley is set to be out of action until October due to an unexpected foot injury he suffered during training. Miley had a successful season last year after earning a spot in the first team, but he hurt his back while playing for the England Under-20s in March. He came back to his club earlier than planned to speed up his recovery, but now he will need surgery on Monday and will be sidelined for three months.