Newcastle United have appointed Paul Mitchell as the club’s new sporting director, following Dan Ashworth’s move to Manchester United.
Mitchell arrives with a fine reputation in the game after previous spells at Southampton, Tottenham, RB Leipzig and AS Monaco. The 42-year-old was appointed as head of scouting at Southampton in 2012 and was responsible for the arrivals of names including Dejan Lovren, Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane on the south coast.
After following Saints head coach Mauricio Pochettino to Spurs, his success stories included the arrivals of Son Heung-min and Dele Alli in North London.
He left Monaco last year and will now return to the Premier League with Newcastle, having been linked with sporting director roles at Manchester United and Liverpool across the last 12 months. Newcastle will be delighted to have secured his services following the exit of Ashworth, who had spent less than two years with the club.
“It’s with immense pride that I accept the responsibility of being Newcastle United’s new sporting director. I’ve seen the recent growth and ambition of the club,” Mitchell said on his appointment.
“This, plus the amazing fan base, made the decision to join an easy one. I can’t wait to get started and help continue the organisation’s growth and long-term competitiveness in all areas of elite football performance.”
Darren Eales, Newcastle’s CEO, added: “We are delighted to welcome Paul to Newcastle United. He brings a successful track record and wealth of experience to the club. His extensive and diverse experience in football leadership, cultural change and recruitment mean he is the ideal person to lead our sporting directorate.”
