Sporting director Paul Mitchell has changed the culture at Newcastle United since joining in 2024.
After years of heavy spending, PSR finally caught up with the club who were then forced to sell two young stars to avoid a Premier League points deduction.
Elliot Anderson reluctantly joined Nottingham Forest for £35m, the highest transfer fee Newcastle United had ever received for one of their players while Yankuba Minteh joined Brighton and is progressing well.
Mitchell called Newcastle’s spending “not fit for purpose” in September 2024 and completely overhauled his transfer strategy which has proven successful elsewhere.
While fans want to see bigger names join the club. Mitchell wants Newcastle to sign youth from overseas – a strategy that has already been put into practice this season.
Newcastle signed Kyle Fitzgerald and Baran Yildiz in January. The pair were registered in Newcastle’s Premier League squad for the remainder of the season.
With Mitchell now looking to bring younger talents to Tyneside, he has just been handed a big boost regarding a player Newcastle have been linked with for months.
Ibrahim Maza must leave Hertha Berlin amid Newcastle interest
Hertha Berlin attacker Ibrahim Maza has wowed fans this season, despite the 2. Bundesliga’s woes. The 19-year-old has been a handy player to have in attack, scoring seven goals and bagging five assists in all competitions.
Newcastle are interested in Maza, who could cost anywhere between £8m to £17m in the summer. A January move was not possible after Hertha Berlin’s chief shunned Maza’s admirers.
Now, according to Bild, Hertha Berlin must sell Maza in the summer due to their poor financial situation. The report states that Hertha must now ensure they stay in the German second division before signing any players with high salaries.
Maza has no shortage of admirers, however. Reports have suggested that Manchester City and Brighton also want to sign Maza in the summer. Mitchell is not willing to go down without a fight as Newcastle is willing to pay £17m for Maza.
At 19, the attacker has already got a great reputation throughout Europe. Maza was likened to Kevin de Bruyne based on current season performance in February.
Newcastle are still looking for a replacement for Anderson. Maza is a similar player stylistically and plays in similar positions to the 22-year-old meaning he could be a much cheaper alternative to the Forest star.
- READ MORE – What Newcastle United were really planning to do with Elliot Anderson last summer before selling him
Ibrahim Maza’s chance of game time at Newcastle
With Mitchell at the helm, Newcastle are now preparing for the future by constantly adding new faces to their academy. Newcastle are set to sign Malaga’s Antonio Cordero in a move which will see them beat Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid for his signature.
- Who is Antonio Cordero? Meet the exciting Spanish teenager Newcastle United have signed on a free transfer
Elsewhere, Vakhtang Salia will join Newcastle in August once he turns 18. For Maza, it’s difficult to see him playing a big part in Newcastle’s first-team squad – in the beginning, at least.
All the young players coming in are expected to link up with Newcastle’s academy for the first season but for some players, they could play their football elsewhere for the first year.
Jack Ross is sorting loan moves for Newcastle’s youngsters, including the new arrivals. If Maza was to join, there is a good chance that he could be loaned out for his first season before breaking into Howe’s squad. There is no doubt the 19-year-old has talent which could sway Howe’s decision if he sees him in action.
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