Paul Mitchell is still trying to use his experience to sign players at Newcastle United.
A quiet January transfer window on Tyneside will soon be coming to an end, but Newcastle have nothing to show for it.
Profit and Sustainability Rules are a catalyst to that. Fans saw how much of a problem it was in the summer after Newcastle were forced to sell Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson to their Premier League rivals.
After the disastrous summer transfer window, sporting director Paul Mitchell branded Newcastle’s previous transfer strategy as “not fit for purpose” and has since implemented his ideas into the club’s transfer plans.
Mitchell now wants Newcastle to recruit young players from abroad so Newcastle’s academy or Toon boss Eddie Howe can develop them.
Newcastle just missed out on Abdukodir Khusanov to Manchester City – a transfer that would have allowed Mitchell to show his experience and ability to tempt players to the club.
Recent words regarding the future of another young talent in Europe have given Mitchell the chance to redeem himself.
Newcastle learn Stefanos Tzimas price tag
There is another twist in Newcastle’s efforts to sign Stefanos Tzimas.
The Greek striker has impressed during his loan spell at Bundesliga 2. side FC Nurnberg from PAOK FC, despite the former German champions sitting in 11th place.
So far this season, Tzimas has scored nine goals in 15 games, including the opener in Nurnberg’s first game back from the winter break against Karlsruher SC.
According to Florian Plettenberg, Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt are now pushing to sign Tzimas. They have considered a January move for the 19-year-old, but it is looking more likely that he will sign for a new club in the summer.
Nurnberg has an €18m (£15.2m) buy option for the player that they are set to activate at the end of the season. The club then plan to immediately sell Tzimas for around €25m (£21m) to generate immediate profit for the club.
Newcastle are linked with Tzimas as he fits Mitchell’s new transfer strategy. The Magpies are not alone in their interest, however. Chelsea and Aston Villa are battling Newcastle for Tzimas’ signature.
Tzimas’ chances of getting minutes at Newcastle
The signing of Tzimas would be a clear indication that Newcastle can battle with clubs across Europe to sign highly-rated prospects.
Should Newcastle sign the 19-year-old, it is hard to gauge whether he would be thrown straight into Newcastle’s first-team squad or if he would spend time with the under-21s before moving up to play with the senior squad.
If the club chooses to do the former, Tzimas will most likely be in a similar situation to William Osula. The 21-year-old signed from Sheffield United in the summer but has not had a good run in Howe’s starting XI because of how well Alexander Isak has been playing.
Osula has made appearances in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, where most of his minutes have come from. Tzimas’ age makes him a star player for the future, so there is no rush to push him to start for Newcastle every week.
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