Report: Marc Overmars rejects Newcastle move

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As Newcastle prepare to announce a new manager, their search for a sporting director goes on.

Eddie Howe will reportedly be named as the new Magpies boss today, meaning one of the new owners’ biggest tasks will be complete. Then it will be up to Howe to prove they made the right decision.

Now that a manager is in place, they can turn their attentions to an appointment above Howe – the sporting director or director of football.

For a while it was claimed that this appointment would come before a manager, but with Newcastle’s precarious position in the league they desperately needed to bring someone in.

But now Howe is set to arrive, they can focus all of their efforts on finding the right DOF. However, it looks like one target has passed them by.

Marc Overmars will stay with Ajax

Last month, the Times claimed that Newcastle wanted to bring in Marc Overmars from Ajax. There was even talk that Erik ten Hag could join him as manager.

In the end, a move for the Dutch coach was ambitious, and it looks like Overmars was a lofty target as well.

According to the Athletic, the former Arsenal winger is going nowhere.

They report that the club has held initial talks with multiple candidates, but Overmars has decided to stay with Ajax.

This is a blow for Newcastle, but somewhat understandable. Overmars has a good thing going at Ajax, where it looks like he has built another special team that is possibly capable of challenging for the Champions League.

The 48-year-old would have been a big-time appointment for the new Newcastle owners, who will likely want someone with a big reputation to lead their footballing project.

Other high profile options have been linked, including Ralf Rangnick, Luis Campos and Michael Edwards. All three would be incredible appointments, but all seem unlikely based on their current standing in the game compared to Newcastle’s position.

While the Magpies might have more money than sense, they still don’t have the foundation of a strong club. 19th in the Premier League with no wins out of 11 says it all.