Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell are establishing a working relationship at Newcastle United.
The Magpies recently appointed a new sporting director, with Paul Mitchell arriving to replace Dan Ashworth following his move to Manchester United.
Mitchell has been given greater control over Newcastle’s recruitment, and he will be tasked with providing Eddie Howe with the players he needs to take the club to the next level.
Newcastle have a £100million transfer budget, and it remains to be seen how Mitchell will spend it.
The club are prioritising a winger and a centre-back, and Eddie Howe is keen for two new signings to arrive before the pre-season trip to Japan.
That sounds ambitious, and it could result in disappointment for the Newcastle United manager. And that is not the only bit of transfer business that might upset Howe.
Eddie Howe’s transfer demand to Paul Mitchell
As well as incomings, Newcastle need to look at outgoings.
One player who has been linked with leaving Newcastle United is Callum Wilson, but that is not what Howe wants.
It was recently reported that Howe will explain to Toon officials why the club should retain Wilson, with the manager viewing him as one of the top strikers in the Premier League.
Howe’s arguments for keeping Wilson will be put to Mitchell, as Newcastle chiefs conduct transfer meetings in Germany at Adidas HQ.
Mitchell must look at the bigger picture for Newcastle
But while Wilson is an excellent goalscorer and an established Premier League striker, there are probably more reasons in favour of letting him go.
From a financial point of view, Wilson either needs to get a new contract or be sold. He is in the final year of his current deal, and the fact he is 32-years-old makes the prospect of an extension a bit less appealing.
Given Newcastle’s need to increase revenue, it would seem negligent not to at least get some money back for a player who cost £20million four years ago.
Then there is Wilson’s injury record, with the number nine missing 25 games in total last season. He missed just shy of half of Newcastle’s fixtures, which increased the pressure on Alexander Isak to stay fit. There were times when he was injured too, resulting in Anthony Gordon having to play up front.
To get the best out of Isak, he needs reliable cover. Wilson can be relied upon to score goals, but not to stay fit.
For those reasons, it is clear why Newcastle should sell Wilson, despite Howe’s wishes. That might mean Mitchell has to go against the manager’s demands, less than a month after arriving as sporting director.
Mitchell must appease Howe by offering an alternative
But they are the difficult decisions that Mitchell is paid to make. And if he does make the decision to sell Wilson, he must quickly quickly provide Howe with an alternative.
From Howe’s point of view, it is easy to understand why he wants to keep Wilson. He is a player who he trusts, while the assumption is that signing a replacement who is just as good will be extremely costly.
When you put it like that, of course Howe wants to keep his number nine.
That is why Mitchell must provide evidence to prove to Howe that a replacement can be bought that fits the profile and the budget, and is good enough to score as many goals as Wilson.
That will not be easy, but that is what Mitchell has been brought in to do. It is his job to ensure that Newcastle evolve, and that means putting sentiment to one side and replacing older players when the time is right.
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