Newcastle United are reportedly set to do business with arch rivals Sunderland.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, who state that Elliott Dickman is going to cross the divide and become the first major hire for the new Toon owners.
Dickman is reportedly set to become the Newcastle Under-23s new boss, after Chris Hogg left the club earlier this year to join MK Dons.
The situation surrounding the U23s has been strange in recent months, with Gary Caldwell coming and going in no time at all. The 39-year-old spent just three weeks with the Magpies.
Now it looks like Newcastle finally have a permanent Under-23s boss, with Dickman set to leave his job at Sunderland.
It’s a big surprise, considering he’s been at the Stadium of Light for 26 years. Dickman has managed the Black Cats’ Under-23s since 2017, but will be stepping down to take the same job at Newcastle.
While he’s set to be the first major hire of the Saudi era, the Chronicle report that Dickman was already in talks join the club even before the takeover happened.
Perhaps the takeover confirmed Dickman’s decision, with the job offer giving him the chance to join a club that could be on the brink of something very special in the coming years.
Amanda Staveley has spoke about the importance of improving the club’s youth facilities which have been wildly neglected in recent years.
But while Newcastle make changes to their youth setup, Sunderland fans seem far from worried about the man they’re reportedly set to lose.
Is this just sour grapes? Or are Newcastle making a mistake bringing in the Black Cats veteran?