Paul Mitchell has a lot of critics he has to prove wrong when the January transfer window comes around.
Newcastle United’s new sporting director has not exactly hit the ground running in Tyneside after replacing Dan Ashworth.
The Magpies failed to land any of their top transfer targets over the summer after leaving it late to bring in a top-class centre-back and right-sided winger.
Newcastle submitted multiple bids for Marc Guehi but failed to land the defender with Crystal Palace increasing their asking price towards the end of the window.
Mitchell also launched a desperate attempt to sign Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga in the final few hours of the window but they rejected a £50m offer.
As a result, Newcastle were left emptyhanded and Mitchell’s future with the club is now in doubt.
Paul Mitchell sets sights on January spree
After a disappointing end to the summer, there is huge pressure on Paul Mitchell to deliver the club’s top targets in future windows – starting with January.
A poor summer of business has seemed to cause friction behind the scenes at Newcastle and the January window is Mitchell’s first chance to set things straight.
According to The Telegraph, there is confidence internally that Newcastle will become smarter in the transfer market with Mitchell in charge of recruitment, but it will take time.
It adds that Mitchell has already turned his attention to the January window, where Newcastle are expecting to be “active” after turning away from a £70m deal for Marc Guehi.
Additionally, Newcastle are expected to reignite their interest in Guehi and propose a fresh offer for the Premier League star when he will have just 18 months left on his contract.
Newcastle have no excuses in January
With no European football this season, Newcastle have a real chance to push for the top six and maybe even a top-four finish.
But a disappointing summer has dampened the mood around St James’ Park and it is now down to Eddie Howe to get things back on track.
READ MORE: What Lee Carsley said about Anthony Gordon should excite Newcastle and Eddie Howe
After missing out on his top targets over the summer, Newcastle must reach into their pockets and complete some deals in January.
Newcastle still had a £100m budget in the summer and that money will need to be invested over the winter.
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