Manchester United snubbed as Newcastle United complete move for Liverpool-linked man

Mitchell was announced as the Magpies’ new sporting director on Thursday morning, taking over from Dan Ashworth, whose move to Old Trafford was completed earlier this week after five months on gardening leave.

Newcastle initially demanded £20million in compensation for Ashworth which caused the move to stall. However, the two clubs issued a joint-statement on Monday confirming an agreement had finally been reached, though any further details remained confidential.

But less than a week before Ashworth was officially placed on gardening leave, a report in The Athletic - as relayed by Metro - claimed new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was interested in bringing in Mitchell to work alongside Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada, however he informed the club that he would like to pursue other opportunities.

And fast forward to now, the former Wigan Athletic and MK Dons defender has stepped back into football with Newcastle having previously held prominent scouting and recruitment roles at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, RB Leipzig, Red Bull Soccer International and AS Monaco.

He has also been regularly linked with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, further outlining the significance of his appointment.

It's with immense pride that I accept the responsibility of being Newcastle United's new sporting director,” said Mitchell. “I've seen the recent growth and ambition of the club. This, plus the amazing fan base, made the decision to join an easy one.

"I can't wait to get started and help continue the organisation's growth and long-term competitiveness in all areas of elite football performance."

Newcastle CEO Darren Eales added said: "We are delighted to welcome Paul to Newcastle United. He brings a successful track record and wealth of experience to the club.

"His extensive and diverse experience in football leadership, cultural change and recruitment mean he is the ideal person to lead our sporting directorate. We look forward to working with Paul and supporting him in our pursuit of long-term, sustainable success."

Paul Mitchell’s experience

Mitchell’s recruitment success as director of scouting and analysis at Southampton helped the club to secure promotion back to the Premier League and become regular competitors in the top half of the table, despite having a lower budget.

Mitchell further cemented his reputation during a successful spell as head of recruitment at Tottenham Hotspur, where he signed the likes of Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-min. He worked closely with Mauricio Pochettino, similar to the pair’s time at Southampton.

He then joined RB Leipzig in 2018 as head of recruitment and club development, combining traditional scouting with data-driven analysis, before moving into a new role as technical director in Red Bull's global football division.

In 2020, he joined AS Monaco as the club's sporting director, devising and implementing a long-term development plan and transforming the club’s performance and profile, as well as implementing improvements at Belgian club Cercle Brugge as part of the ownership's portfolio.