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Newcastle United are on the hunt for a replacement for outgoing sporting director Paul Mitchell.
Mitchell was initially going to keep the role until the end of the summer window, but he has now departed with immediate effect.
Manager Eddie Howe will oversee recruitment in the interim, but the Magpies have already begun compiling a shortlist of high-profile candidates to fill the vacancy ahead of next season’s Champions League campaign.
Craig Hope of the Daily Mail has now reported that Julian Ward, Liverpool’s current technical director, is a candidate with interviews to follow soon.
Hope reports that Nolan Partners will be in charge of the head hunt:
“As revealed last week, Nottingham Forest chief Ross Wilson is among the candidates and former Arsenal assistant sporting director Jason Ayto will be spoken to by Nolan.”
“We can also reveal that Julian Ward, Liverpool’s technical director, is another name in the frame. Interviews are due to take place.”
Julian Ward first joined Liverpool in October 2012 as European Scouting Manager for the Spain and Portugal regions, having previously worked in Manchester City’s scouting setup and on Carlos Queiroz’s Portugal national team staff.
Over the next three years he developed Liverpool’s loan pathways and partnerships, taking up the role of Loan Pathways & Football Partnerships Manager in late 2015 and establishing the club’s loan department.
Ward’s promotion continued in December 2020 when he became Assistant Sporting Director, working directly under Michael Edwards to coordinate recruitment, oversee analytics, and negotiate transfers amid Liverpool’s title-winning period.
In June 2022, he succeeded Edwards as Sporting Director, taking charge of Liverpool’s transfer strategy and leading on high-profile signings – although it did not last long.
After stepping down at the end of the 2022–23 season, Ward was persuaded by Edwards to return to the Fenway Sports Group structure om June 2024, as group Technical Director.
In this expanded role he oversees Liverpool’s Academy, elite player development, the loan department, and a new football innovation division, as well as coordinating football operations across any future clubs added to FSG’s portfolio.
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