Newcastle United are in the process of searching for Paul Mitchell’s replacement as sporting director.
Mitchell joined Newcastle last summer after a tumultuous period that saw the club scramble to comply with Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules.
After limited transfer spending, Mitchell is now set to leave Newcastle after less than a year as sporting director. In that time, The Magpies have failed to make a major first-team signing with 21-year-old forward Will Osula the only player signed under Mitchell’s watch.
But the club have managed their transfer spending carefully while also raising funds through the sales of Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United and Lloyd Kelly to Juventus. The Kelly transfer is understood to be worth up to £20million and has been praised as an excellent piece of business by the club, who signed the defender on a free transfer last summer.
Newcastle are now preparing for the 2025/26 season and the return of Champions League football without a sporting director in place past the end of June. As such, a new name has surfaced as Mitchell’s potential successor.
Nottingham Forest chief listed as potential NUFC sporting director
According to Mail Online, Nottingham Forest sporting director Ross Wilson is ‘in the frame’ to be Mitchell’s successor at Newcastle. Recruitment specialists Nolan Partners are leading the search though an appointment before Mitchell’s is reported to be ‘unlikely’.
Former Arsenal assistant sporting director Jason Ayto is another name who has been in contact with Nolan Partners.
Wilson has been Forest’s sporting director since 2023 and has overseen the club’s rise into the Premier League European places over the past season. He has previous experience in similar roles at Rangers, Southampton and Huddersfield Town previously.
The 41-year-old previously worked in academy football at Watford and at his hometown club, Falkirk, before moving into senior recruitment roles.
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Newcastle United sporting director trouble
The sporting director role was previously described by Dan Ashworth as a ‘long-term role’. Ashworth was Newcastle’s sporting director for just a season-and-a-half before joining Manchester United, where he lasted just five months before his dismissal.
“This is quite a long-term role,” he told Training Ground Guru about the sporting director position. “It’s not a job you go into for 12 months and out you go again.
“I’ve hopefully got a number of years left working in football. I love being a technical director and have been fortunate to have had three wonderful opportunities to do the job.
“My ambition is to stay doing this job for as long as I possibly can, and after that, who knows?”
Ashworth’s successor Mitchell has now lasted less than a year at Newcastle so the club are understandably being diligent as they look to name a new sporting director. There has also been talk of the role being scrapped entirely with more control given to head coach Eddie Howe, head of recruitment Steve Nickson and the existing recruitment team at the club.
The club are also looking to appoint a successor to Darren Eales, who is set to step down from his position as chief executive officer due to health reasons.
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