Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell has announced he will leave the club at the end of June, but there was a hidden message within the announcement that has left fans scratching their heads.
It is an announcement that has taken the fanbase by storm. After less than a year in the role, Paul Mitchell is leaving the club.
With the summer transfer window opening in just a few days, Newcastle United now need to focus on getting the right players in for Eddie Howe without their top negotiator on board to help them.
A minor positive for Newcastle is that Mitchell does not leave until June 30, so he will still be a part of the club for the first month of the transfer window before departing.
While Newcastle fans take in the news that Mitchell is leaving, there was a hidden message in the official announcement from the club that is telling.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Newcastle United have a hidden message in Paul Mitchell exit announcement
The news that Mitchell is leaving has come at a strange time for the club, who have just secured Champions League football for next season.
Mitchell was given the go-ahead to spend over £150m this summer to help Howe build the team of his dreams for next season, but that will no longer be the case.
As it stands, there will be no replacement for Mitchell, but a hidden message within the announcement was that there was no mention of finding a successor for the role.
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It suggests that Newcastle are happy to hand the control back over to Howe for the future. Newcastle fans believe that Steve Nickson is the right replacement for Mitchell, but as it stands, no changes have been made at the club yet.
What Eddie Howe said about Paul Mitchell at Newcastle United
Newcastle must traverse the transfer window without their master negotiator, but the likes of Nickson and even Andy Howe, Eddie’s nephew, will know what to do once the window opens.
The relationship between Howe and Mitchell was never perfect, but they managed to put their differences aside and work together. Sadly, it has not ended the way many thought it would.
Despite that, Howe was happy to work with Mitchell on recruitment and even praised Mitchell for the work he had done behind the scenes to try and sign players during the 2024 summer transfer window.
“So, I think he’s the right person to lead Newcastle United forward. I think he’s got a passion, I think he’ll make good decisions – a very strong decision-maker,” he said in an interview last July.
“So yeah, I think it all looks positive.”