Paul Mitchell will prepare a handover package for Eddie Howe ahead of his June 30 departure
Comments
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell
Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell will continue in his post until June 30 at St James' Park.
As the days pass in late June, Chronicle Live understands that Mitchell will hand over duties to other key members of staff until his official leaving date. The big difference between Mitchell's exit and the man he replaced in Dan Ashworth is that there are no complications or another club waiting in the wings.
When Ashworth departed Newcastle, there was already huge talk of the England FA director heading to Manchester United. And that's exactly what happened as he was sent on gardening leave before taking up what proved to be a short-lived stint at Old Trafford.
At that time, Eddie Howe admitted that he was concerned that a direct rival like Man United could have access to sensitive transfer information and targets. The Mitchell departure feels different and club chiefs insist that the ex-Monaco man has a great relationship with club owners.
It has been likened behind the scenes to CEO Darren Eales' exit with the club supremo leaving across a longer notice period. Not a lot changed after Eales announced he was going for health reasons and he has been in attendance at fan events and interviews to the public during that timeframe.
Anthony Gordon sits in the dining room with Head of Recruitment Steve Nickson and Head of Technical Scouting Andy Howe
Anthony Gordon sits in the dining room with Head of Recruitment Steve Nickson and Head of Technical Scouting Andy Howe
(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Article continues below
Mitchell's notice period is much shorter but it was decided by all parties that his tenure would come to an end in the middle of a transfer window. When Mitchell arrived at Newcastle there was talk of a five-year plans, qualifying for the Champions League year in, year out and making shrewd moves in the transfer market.
He goes without making a senior signing, but that could change. In his time at Unite,d he has overseen contract talks with the likes of Dan Burn and Anthony Gordon and signed promising youngsters such as Antonio Cordero from Malaga.
But whatever way you look at it, he won't finish what he vowed to start last summer. As Mitchell prepares to say goodbye, it should not change too much behind the scenes.
It is expected that head coach Eddie Howe will take the lead and will be supported by figures such as chief scout Steve Nickson, his assistant Andy Howe, and Head of Strategic Technical Football Partnerships Jack Ross, the former Sunderland boss.
This won't worry supporters too much given that Howe was essentially in charge of transfers when the club signed Bruno Guimaraes, Burn, Kieran Trippier, Alexander Isak and Nick Pope. If anything, it gives the manager more of a say in transfers and is a throwback in some ways to the days of Kevin Keegan.
Keegan operated superbly to make shrewd signings like Barry Venison, Paul Bracewell, Les Ferdinand, David Ginola, and Philippe Albert, to name but a few! It may have been a slow start to the window at St James' Park but the wheels are in motion for the club to make three or four senior signings with departures also likely in July.
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
Article continues below
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.