What insiders are now saying regarding Newcastle’s intentions to appoint

Their former sporting director has now been placed on gardening leave behind the scenes amid interest from Manchester United as Newcastle begin their search for a replacement.

Paul Mitchell, formerly of Tottenham, RB Leipzig and Monaco, has been touted as a target on that front.

Still, some insight into what a sporting director actually will do for the club has now emerged.

Newcastle: Latest sporting director news

According to the Daily Mail, Ashworth was not particularly involved in the scouting and signing of players.

While it was he who ultimately signed the deals off, the bulk of the recruitment work was reportedly done by others.

Manager Eddie Howe is believed to be heavily involved in the recruitment process, taking responsibility for every signing made. With that in mind, the club may look to redraw the job specifications.

Indeed, it is said the appointment of a ‘transfer guru’ could cause internal conflict, such is Howe’s involvement. The report suggests Newcastle will not be looking for an individual to come in and simply sign players.

Quite how that looks remains to be seen of course but it’s interesting to hear just how involved Howe is.

Newcastle news: Howe cannot have complete authority

It would be foolish to allow Howe total control when it comes to signings. Though he will reportedly be consulted on the new sporting director and his input is valid, there needs to be some level of structure behind the scenes.

For the most part, Newcastle’s recruitment has been solid in the PIF era. Still, leaning too heavily on one individual – who could feasibly lose his job at some point given the nature of managing a top football club – hardly seems like the best idea for the club as a whole long-term.