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Dan Ashworth and other former members of Newcastle United’s recruitment team have been left hurt and baffled by new sporting director Paul Mitchell’s claims that the club’s transfer structure was not “fit for purpose”.
Multiple sources have told Telegraph Sport that Mitchell’s criticism has not gone down well with those involved in player recruitment before he took over the club. They include Ashworth, who left the club in February for Manchester United, as well as former co-owner Amanda Staveley, her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi and head scout Steve Nickson.
Manager Eddie Howe was also frustrated by the failure to sign new players for his first-team squad this summer, as previously reported by Telegraph Sport.
Some have privately expressed frustration at having their recruitment decisions questioned by Mitchell and are proud of their record in charge at St James’ Park. One even suggested it was an attempt to blame others for his own failure to sign a top player in his first window.
Mitchell explains lack of recruiting this summer
In an interview last week, Mitchell criticised Newcastle’s scouting and data analysis practices and also suggested they had overpaid for players since the takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2021.
Mitchell came under heavy criticism after failing to sign a single player to improve Howe’s first team following his appointment in July and has attempted to explain to supporters what happened.
There were mitigating circumstances. Mitchell had only been in the role for seven weeks before the selection window closed and insisted he had only played a “supporting role” as he pursued players who were already on a shortlist of potential targets.
The most high-profile of these was Crystal Palace’s England international Marc Guehi, whose public attempt to sign the 24-year-old, led by Mitchell, lasted a month and ultimately failed with less than 48 hours to go until the end of the recruitment window.
On deadline day, Newcastle also attempted to sign Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga, who the club had previously attempted to sign in June as part of the deal that saw midfielder Elliot Anderson transfer to the Midlands.
Mitchell is determined to improve the club’s global scouting reach as well as its use of data analysis and his direct style has been well received by the rest of the St James’ Park board.
Rather than constantly recruiting established stars (Newcastle have spent around £350m since the PIF takeover, with minimal sales), he also wants to seek better value by unearthing hidden young talent. This will allow Newcastle to better sell players in order to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Guehi expected to be a candidate in January
Newcastle bosses are confident the club will become smarter in the transfer market with Mitchell in charge of recruitment and they should not be judged on a disappointing first transfer window. Mitchell’s attention has already turned to January and the club, who did not blow their budget this summer by paying over £70m for Guehi, intend to be active in the winter transfer window, with a new offer expected for the Palace man.
But by suggesting Newcastle had overpaid in the past and did not have a deep enough pool of players to recruit talent, Mitchell irked some of those responsible for decision-making before his arrival. Ashworth and Mitchell know each other well and the former would have been particularly disappointed that another sporting director would start criticising the previous regime, something he has not done before.
Mitchell suggested that Newcastle were too focused on signing players with Premier League experience. However, sources have pointed out to Telegraph Sport that most of the big transfers since the takeover have come from overseas leagues, including Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes (£35m), Netherlands defender Sven Botman (£35m), Sweden striker Alexander Isak (£63m) and Italy international midfielder Sandro Tonali (£55m).
With the exception of Tonali, who has just returned from a ten-month ban for breaching the rules of the game, all are now worth significantly more than the money Newcastle paid in 2022 and 2023.
Only Bruno had been signed before Ashworth’s arrival from Brighton and the former FA director of elite development was also responsible for the signing of winger Yankuba Minteh for £6m last year, who was sold to Brighton for £35m in the summer to ensure Newcastle complied with PSR rules.
It was also highlighted that while Newcastle had to spend heavily on players like striker Chris Wood (£25m), Kieran Trippier (£13m) and Matt Targett (£12m) in January 2022, they were second-to-bottom in the Premier League and needed players urgently to avoid relegation immediately after the takeover.
In defence of Mitchell, Newcastle paid £28m for Lewis Hall, who started just eight games last season, and £3.2m for Tino Livramento from Southampton last year. Livramento, however, was called up by England this international break and appears to have finally replaced Trippier as his club’s first-choice right-back this season.
Success or failure? Dan Ashworth’s Newcastle transfer dossier dissected
Mitchell was right that Newcastle’s level of spending – without recouping money from sales – was unsustainable, but there were far more successes than failures in the period before his arrival.
The first player of the new era at St James’ Park, he was one of Howe’s most important players. Superb at both ends of the pitch, he was also a great leader behind the scenes as captain. For many fans, he is the best right-back to play for the club in living memory, although at 33 his abilities are declining and Newcastle have failed to find a buyer this summer.
Verdict: HIT
Bruno Guimaraes – £35m from Lyon
The Brazil international took the captaincy from Trippier in the summer, amid concerns over the latter’s future at the club in pre-season, and he has been magnificent. Newcastle put a £100m release clause in his new deal for a reason, but were relieved that no one activated it this summer. Probably Newcastle’s most talented player.
Verdict: HIT
Matt Targett – £12m to Aston Villa
He helped the team stay fit in his first season, but has struggled since and been plagued by injuries.
Verdict: MISSED
Chris Wood – £25m from Burnley
Newcastle knew they were overpaying for the New Zealand striker at the time, but they were in the bottom three of the table and desperately needed a striker. They needed one. He scored just five goals in 38 appearances before being sold to Nottingham Forest for £15 million a year later.
Verdict: MISSED
Sven Botman – £35m from Lille
He shone in his first season as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League. He turned down a move to AC Milan to join England, but last season he was badly affected by a knee injury that eventually required surgery. He will not return until December.
Verdict: HIT
Alexander Isak – £63m to Real Sociedad
One of the best all-round strikers in the Premier League, he has only gotten better over the last couple of years. He is the club’s most sought-after player but has been worth every penny so far, although there are doubts over his durability as he has struggled with injuries throughout his career.
Verdict: HIT
He struggled to break into the team and was disappointing when he did, but he was Newcastle’s best player last season and earned his place in the England squad. His energy, pace and goalscoring have been a vital part of Newcastle’s armoury over the last 12 months
Verdict: HIT
Sandro Tonali – £55m to AC Milan
Given he was banned for 10 months shortly after his arrival, this has to be considered a failure, but the Italian is a good player and could become a brilliant signing now that he is playing again.
Verdict: RATE (but could easily become a hit)
He replaced the hugely popular Allan Saint-Maximum last summer and his first season was blighted by injuries. He has nevertheless scored some vital goals and has started this season very well.
Verdict: HIT
Lewis Hall – £28m from Chelsea
It’s a huge fee for a player who failed to make the starting XI even when Newcastle were decimated by injuries last season. There have been signs of improvement, but he remains in and out of the team.
Verdict: MISSED
Tino Livramento – £32m from Southampton
Did Newcastle really need another right-back last summer when they already had Trippier and Emil Krafth? That is the only question. They also paid a lot for a player who had just been relegated to the Championship and was coming back from a serious injury. However, this was a replacement signing, he now looks to be first choice and has just been called up by England.
Verdict: HIT
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