Ian Wright has suggested Newcastle United should be looking to make Michael Emenalo their new sporting director.
The Magpies are still in the process of searching for the right candidate and conducting interviews for the role.
Quite a few names have been mentioned since the takeover went through earlier this month.
Marc Overmars is reportedly in the frame, and Luis Campos has also been linked.
But Wright said on the Kelly and Wrighty show last week that Newcastle should be looking at the former left-back to see to their recruitment.
He said: “If they have a list, and Michael Emenalo is not on it or high up on that list – then you know they have a massive problem.”
Emenalo has been out of work since leaving AS Monaco in 2019.
He had just over two years at the French club.
That followed a spell at Chelsea. He was assistant manager at Stamford Bridge, before taking up the role of technical director in 2011 until 2017.
The 2010s was a very successful period for Chelsea, with Emenalo’s work behind the scenes paramount to the club’s haul of silverware.
The likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, N’Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso all came in on Emenalo’s watch and remain key players for the Blues to this day.
Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas are two others that had big impacts for the west London giants.
Emenalo also signed Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, two players who are now amongst the very best in the world.
He was also instrumental in the first signing of Romelu Lukaku, and wanted to sign him again before the striker ultimately went to Manchester United from Everton.
And at Monaco he helped bring in the likes of Youri Tielemans, Stevan Jovetic, Cesc Fabregas (again) and Aleksandr Golovin.
Emenalo would be a good acquisition
Emenalo is proven to be adept at working with big transfer budgets.
He has clearly got a good eye for talent and knows how to operate in the transfer market.
Chelsea have enjoyed brilliant success over the past decade and Emenalo’s good work there was undeniable.
He has surely got to be worth talking to about possibly becoming the club’s new sporting director.
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