The Newcastle United owners were expecting Paul Mitchell to have a much longer career at St James’ Park.
Instead, Paul Mitchell barely lasted 12 months on Tyneside. His Toon tenure is ending, with Mitchell leaving Newcastle at the end of June.
His departure is coinciding with Darren Eales’ exit, with the chief executive officer leaving the club due to health reasons. For Mitchell, Eales leaving is seen as a good moment for him to leave too.
However, the Newcastle United owners were hoping that the 43-year-old would actually stay.
Jason Tindall speaks to Paul Mitchell after Newcastle United's final Premier League game of the season.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Paul Mitchell was offered the chance to stay at Newcastle United
That is according to the Athletic, who have provided details on how the Newcastle United hierarchy reacted to the news that Mitchell would be stepping away from his post.
The Athletic report that the Toon owners suggested different roles within the club that Mitchell could do after he decided he would be resigning as sporting director.
The report adds that Mitchell has a ‘positive relationship’ with the club’s owners, and that has not changed despite opting to walk away. They clearly thought very highly of Mitchell, otherwise they would not have tried to retain his services in a different capacity.
Interestingly, Paul Mitchell was linked with joining Al Hilal at the beginning of June. Like Newcastle United, Al Hilal are also owned by PIF.
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What Paul Mitchell was doing before joining Newcastle United
Before joining the Magpies in July 2024, Mitchell was actually taking a break from football after leaving AS Monaco in October 2023.
However, Eales convinced Mitchell to cut his break short and join him at St James’ Park. That is a decision that Eddie Howe was not consulted on, with the Newcastle United manager very much in the dark regarding Mitchell’s appointment.
That did not go down well, with Howe considering quitting his job at Newcastle United, albeit briefly.
Fortunately, Howe remained on Tyneside and guided the club to Carabao Cup glory and Champions League qualification. As for Mitchell, it remains to be seen what he will do next after a very strange year as Newcastle United’s sporting director.