Paul Mitchell is the man trusted with changing the way that Newcastle United operate in the transfer market.
As the Newcastle United sporting director, he is in charge of incomings and outgoings. Sadly for Paul Mitchell, there were not many incomings during his first transfer window in charge.
The Magpies failed to make any major signings, with PSR continuing to be an issue. While Newcastle did have money to spend, any big money deal would have been a risk. In that respect, that is why it was Marc Guehi or nothing for Eddie Howe when it came to Newcastle’s centre-back search.
Moving forwards, there could be more risks, while Newcastle will make more of an effort to snap up young stars from untapped markets. That has already happened, with Newcastle signing Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi.
What Paul Mitchell wants Newcastle United to do in the transfer window
The hope will be that Salia develops into a player that is good enough to represent Newcastle United in the coming years. However, there are no guarantees that he will achieve his potential.
That is a risk that Paul Mitchell is willing to take, with the Athletic reporting that the Toon sporting director knows Newcastle must take chances on youngsters from overseas given the limitations of PSR.
The Athletic add that four words are constantly being used inside the club with regards to how they want and need to operate in the transfer market: Astute, shrewd, flexible and canny.
Newcastle gearing up for a tough January transfer window
Ahead of January, it is clear that Newcastle need a winger and a centre-back.
That is also what they needed in the summer, but neither position was addresssed.
It remains to be seen if either will be addressed in early 2025, although it has been reported that Newcastle’s top priority is to sign a winger. However, it is unclear if that plan will change following Emil Krafth’s injury.
But the type of winger that Newcastle need is a game-changer. They need someone who can take Newcastle’s attack to the next level, which will be difficult to obtain in January. It is a notoriously difficult window to get proper value in. It is rare that you can do ‘shrewd’ business in January, which is what Newcastle United want to do with their signings.
So while Mitchell knows Newcastle need to take risks in the transfer market, they are also going to be careful. The club will not just spend for the sake of it, and any major deal will have to be caveated with assurances that they are very much the right player for Eddie Howe’s team.
That could make it very difficult for Newcastle to make any major signings in January.
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