Newcastle United sporting director Paul Mitchell has shocked fans and announced his departure from the club in June.
The decision has thrown a huge curveball Eddie Howe’s way as the Magpies now need to look for a successor with the transfer window opening in just a few days.
Paul Mitchell will leave Newcastle United at the end of June, ending a dismal 12 months on Tyneside, which saw him fail to sign any meaningful players for the first team.
Work will now be underway to find a replacement, but there will now be major concerns over how Newcastle’s £150m+ transfer kitty will be spent in the upcoming transfer window.
Newcastle have five players on their shortlist this summer, their top targets. Mitchell was going to be tasked with making moves happen for those players, but it will no longer be his responsibility past June 30, 2025.
While some Newcastle fans have been stunned by the news, others have suggested one longstanding member of the club is the right replacement for the 43-year-old Mitchell.
Newcastle United fans tell PIF to appoint Steve Nickson as sporting director
Newcastle are now in the hunt for a new sporting director, just days before the start of one of the most important transfer windows in the club’s history.
Mitchell has suggested he is leaving Newcastle due to Darren Eales’ departure. The Newcastle CEO is expected to leave imminently after being diagnosed with blood cancer.
Now, Newcastle fans believe that the Magpies’ current head of recruitment Steve Nickson is the rightful heir to the throne.
Nickson has helped sign the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak in recent years, and could use his experience to bring more quality players to the club.
Taking to X, Newcastle fans believe Nickson is the right person for the sporting director role.
“Cut our losses on the whole new flashy DOF thing now, give Steve Nickson the keys to it all and have someone just watching the PSR line. We’d be sound.” said one fan, while another added: “Back to a Steve Nickson window I’m happy with that all our great signing were under his watch.”
This Newcastle fan also backed Nickson, saying: “Seems mental but I have faith in Nickson and the aboves than Mitchell getting stuff done. Spent 3 months working on Khusanov for city to come and take him, the Guehi saga last summer was embarrassing. Not me slagging Mitchell off, he done unbelievable to get deadwood gone.”
“Early suggestions are that Newcastle may reshuffle their transfer committee with Steve Nickson, the club’s long-serving head of recruitment, possibly handed more influence alongside Howe and his nephew Andy Howe, who is currently the assistant head of first-team recruitment.” said this surprised Newcastle fan.
Another fan added: “Let’s not forget the track record Nickson has and how well he’s thought of. Him and Eddie clearly get on. Him getting promoted, at least in the interim, makes sense. #NUFC”
Finally, this Newcastle fan said: “I hope we unleash Steve Nickson again on the recruitment front because the core of our side were Nickson finds for excellent value for money and player growth.”
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Newcastle United director could leave after Paul Mitchell decision
Mitchell leaving Newcastle is a huge shock to the system; fans never got to see his true potential in the transfer market before his exit less than a year into the role.
However, the exit could cause a ripple effect within the club, which sees more than just Mitchell leave the club.
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James Bunce was brought to Newcastle by Mitchell as a performance director. The 38-year-old has done wonders from a fitness perspective in comparison to previous members of staff, but Mitchell’s exit puts his career on Tyneside in jeopardy.
Howe is a big fan of Bunce’s work at Newcastle, recently calling him a ‘really positive’ addition to the club.
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