Latest news with #PaulMitchell
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Newcastle's targets are going elsewhere and Eddie Howe should be concerned
You cannot lose a transfer window in early June, but you can lose precious momentum and that is the risk for Newcastle United as the glacial pace of decision-making behind the scenes is in danger of hampering progress on the pitch. It was eight days ago, in the aftermath of their final game of the season, that manager Eddie Howe made his feelings clear ahead of a 'crucial summer.' He will surely be feeling frustrated that nothing definitive has happened yet. These are embryonic days, but patience is not endless. Newcastle are heading into the summer with a CEO, Darren Eales, working his notice and a sporting director, Paul Mitchell, who has just announced he will also be leaving at the end of the month. These are the two men who, ultimately, will do the deals for the players Newcastle have targeted. It is far from ideal. The departure of Mitchell is a huge blow. Those that have claimed Howe has won some sort of power struggle with a sporting director he clashed with last summer are wrong. The last thing a manager wants at this stage of a vital summer is to lose the sporting director whose job remit is '90 per cent recruitment' according to Eales. Is this management structure, led by two outgoing senior club employees, conducive to pulling off the sort of rapid transfer moves that Howe has publicly called for? We will know the answer in due course, but the pressure is on. 'Speed is key for us,' said Howe after the Everton game. 'I've reiterated that many times internally. Speed is key because we have to be dynamic, we have to be ready to conclude things very, very quickly because good players don't hang around for long. 'That's always been my thought and my message on recruitment because you can have a period where you think you've got time, but then you can look around very quickly and realise that that time has elapsed and you have missed opportunities that you won't get again. 'That's what we'll be trying, but obviously the reality of that is it's not always in your hands. But we'll be doing our best to do things early.' Beaten to the punch Telegraph Sport spoke to multiple senior figures at the club last week and was told that not only were their top targets identified, they were poised to move for them. The background checks had been made, the right players were there, now they had to push the button and sign them. Every manager hankers for quick signings to be made and Howe has always maintained he wants deals in place for the start of pre-season. There is still plenty of time this month for those signings to be made, but while Newcastle wait to pounce, others are moving decisively. Newcastle really liked Liam Delap, but he has signed for Chelsea. They extensively scouted and agreed that both Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo fitted the profile of the type of players they needed to attract, but both already seem destined for Manchester United. There are other players – Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga and Brentford's Antoine Semenyo – who have been discussed and admired to fill the right-sided forward vacancy. Newcastle's interest in Crystal Palace centre back Marc Guehi is long standing –they failed to sign the England international last summer after a long and public pursuit – and has not gone away. Brighton's Joao Pedro is also a player Newcastle are tracking while Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike is another they have been linked with for a long time and have previously failed to sign. There will be others who are being kept as a closely guarded secret in the fear of losing out. Newcastle are not afraid to sign players based abroad, especially as the likes of Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali have been so successful at St James' Park. But can the club get deals done? If they do not, Howe will have every reason to feel aggrieved. He has just led the club to its most successful season in living memory, but did so without making a first-team ready signing since the summer of 2023. The squad is ageing, things were in danger of going stale at the start of last season and this summer needs to be transformative. 'Right decisions, not quick decisions' Telegraph Sport has been told this week there is an air of calm behind the scenes and that everyone is aligned and pulling in the same direction. It was stressed it is vital 'they make the right decisions, not quick decisions' and that 'everyone is confident this will be a successful transfer window' but fans need action, not words. Under Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, everyone knows how ambitious Newcastle are. They have the wealthiest owners on the planet and a stated desire from chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, to be 'number one.' However, there are certain drawbacks of being controlled by a foreign sovereign wealth fund. Nothing moves swiftly. Everything needs to be discussed, debated and finally signed off from Riyadh. It takes a lot of time to get things done. Of course, there are benefits to this approach: the risks of making a mistake are reduced and the fruits of this painstaking process are there for everyone to see since 2021, but it is not just the signing of players that is of concern. It has taken Newcastle eight months in their search for a new CEO to replace Eales, who announced he is stepping down for health reasons in the autumn. The former Real Madrid executive, Canadian David Hopkinson, is the frontrunner to take the job but the appointment is still waiting to be signed off. How long will it take them to find Mitchell's replacement? If it takes as long, Newcastle will not have a sporting director until February next year. You cannot have that level of uncertainty at the top of a football club at any level, let alone one with Newcastle's aspirations and challenges. As for the new stadium, Telegraph Sport revealed back in January the preferred option was to build a new stadium on Leazes Park, adjacent to St James' Park. But there has still been no confirmation. The club said a decision was 'imminent' in 2024 and then claimed it would come in 'early 2025.' We are now in June. A decision is expected to be made public later this month but after so many missed deadlines, you would not bank on it. It is far too early to panic or switch on to attack mode, but Newcastle know who their top transfer targets are. They have been discussed, deliberated on and a shortlist has been whittled down to a very small collection of suitable players. They will not be there for long. When you are trying to sign elite players to improve a team that has won the Carabao Cup and qualified for the Champions League, there are not many of those players around within budget. It should, at the very least, sharpen minds this month. If there is not a sense of urgency to get deals done, perhaps there should be.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'I expect to see us being a little bit more ruthless'
This is a huge summer for Newcastle United, who against all odds, find themselves back in the Champions League again. Where we belong, may I we cannot rest on our laurels and waste another summer without strengthening the course, Newcastle have out-Newcastled themselves by coming to a mutual agreement to part ways with Paul Mitchell, our director of football, a mere 11 months after he was appointed in the first place (after, if you recall, a fiasco with Dan Ashworth and Manchester United).With his parting statement, Mitchell made reference to the imminent departure of Darren Eales, our CEO, which we have known about for a it is possible there will be a bit of housekeeping done behind the scenes at NUFC in the next few months, including announcing a chief executive and looking in earnest for a director of football. Or, if a DoF is not what we are looking for any more, communicating that to the it a hoot wondering about executive-level appointments? This is why I'm a football fan, for sure.I would like - and, actually, expect - to see Newcastle being a little bit more aggressive in the have some money to spend, and we should spend it. We let go of two players we were using in January and did not bring in reinforcements.I also expect to see us being a little bit more ruthless - letting some players go even if we, as fans, do not want to see them leave. Sometimes that is the way things have to go.I expect this to be a massive summer for need to sign four or five players and put in some seriously hard work to start next season strong. The Champions League is more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external
New York Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Newcastle Transfer DealSheet: Summer window latest, key targets and likely exits
Fresh from their most successful season in 98 years, only at Newcastle United could the narrative turn to one of upheaval so swiftly. Losing their sporting director, Paul Mitchell, ahead of a critical window when the squad needs buttressing for the additional challenges which the Champions League will bring, is far from ideal. Regardless, transfer plans are already in place and Chris Waugh outlines what to expect from Newcastle during the summer… A timely question, given Mitchell will depart on June 30 and Darren Eales, the CEO, is also stepping down for health reasons. For the remainder of this month, Mitchell will lead the department, but Eddie Howe, the head coach, is expected to resume even greater control over transfers (having always retained the final say, even following last summer's executive-level restructure). Post-takeover, Howe has been largely responsible for the majority of senior incomings and, with no first-XI signings for three consecutive windows, the success of 2024-25 was largely his. But the head coach works in tandem with what will likely become an almost unofficial transfer committee, similar to the one which operated last June, until a new CEO and/or sporting director arrive. Targets have already been identified and plans put in place, which require enactment. Andy Howe, the assistant head of recruitment, is influential and has been since arriving from Bournemouth in late-2021. He is trusted by Eddie Howe, his uncle, and valued by the owners, having identified Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento, among others. He has increasingly become a point of contact with leading agents. Advertisement Steve Nickson, the head of recruitment, has been in his current position since 2017 and scouted Sven Botman and Joelinton. He will offer his expertise and global connections, which have recently expanded into South America and Africa. Jamie Reuben, the co-owner, and other board members may take an increasingly hands-on role in finalising deals. A right-sided centre-back and a right-winger are the priorities, as they have been for several windows, while a goalkeeper is wanted. A striker is ideally desired, though that may depend upon budgetary constraints and the adaptability of other attackers who are brought in. Beyond that, a versatile midfielder may be considered should some of the present cohort depart, but potential outgoings will likely influence further business. Despite the fixture list becoming increasingly congested due to Champions League qualification — Newcastle will play a minimum of eight European matches — quality will be prioritised over quantity. Howe believes the best way to improve squad depth is by bringing in first-XI players, who either improve the line-up themselves, or drive up competition. It is twofold; retain Newcastle's elite players and finally inject fresh quality into a squad which Howe has admitted risks becoming 'stale'. The club were always bullish about keeping holding of their stars, including Alexander Isak, and that position has been bolstered by Champions League qualification. Rebuffing interest in Isak — and potentially tying him down to a fresh contract, with talks floated — is the absolute priority. None of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Gordon or Livramento is for sale, either. Newcastle do not have the same financial-fair-play constraints as last summer, and the desire is to improve the squad, not weaken it. The expectation is that two to three high-class additions can really elevate an already successful group to fresh heights. Newcastle's interest in Marc Guehi remains, following the failed month-long pursuit of the Crystal Palace defender last August. Having missed out on Real Madrid-bound Dean Huijsen, they have a shortlist of centre-back targets, with Guehi highly regarded. At right-sided forward, Brentford's Mbeumo was watched extensively and had his admirers within St James' Park, though an asking price of up to £60million ($80.8m) could have made a deal tricky. He has decided he wants to join Manchester United. Bournemouth's Semenyo and Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga have also been tracked, but so have European-based wingers. Advertisement They have no interest in Jack Grealish, even though the Manchester City forward has been linked. Newcastle already have two top-class left-wingers in Gordon and Harvey Barnes, and would not pay Grealish-level wages, especially for a 29-year-old. Goalkeeper-wise, Newcastle had an offer rejected for Burnley's James Trafford 12 months ago and are expected to return for the 22-year-old, whose price tag has risen following a stellar campaign. Joan Garcia's impressive season at Espanyol has been noted inside Newcastle. Newcastle were among the clubs to have registered an interest in meeting Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap's £30million release clause but he has told clubs he prefers a move to Chelsea. Lille's Jonathan David was tracked, but is expected to head elsewhere. Brighton's Joao Pedro has long had strong advocates within Newcastle's recruitment team, too. Post-takeover, when it comes to age profile, Newcastle have focused on top-level players in the 21 to 23 age bracket who can grow with the club, and that remains the focus, whether recruited from the Premier League or Europe. Sean Longstaff's future is uncertain, even if an exit appears likely. The 27-year-old turned down opportunities to leave in January but is entering the final 12 months of his deal. Should Newcastle sell, they can bank 'pure profit' in PSR (the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules) terms. However, Longstaff is their only 'club-trained' senior player, meaning keeping the academy graduate would be beneficial to European squad numbers. Howe would ideally like to keep hold of Joe Willock and Barnes, though Newcastle may have to consider decent offers for both, given funds could be reinvested. Kieran Trippier is also valued by Howe, but the right-back has been repeatedly linked with an exit. Odysseas Vlachodimos, the £20m goalkeeper who has made only one substitute appearance, is available. Martin Dubravka's situation is also unclear, despite signing an extension in January. Newcastle will listen to offers for Matt Targett, while a resolution is required to Isaac Hayden's situation as he is not part of Howe's plans. Garang Kuol, the Australia international, may be sold. Newcastle will rebuff interest in Isak, Gordon, Livramento and Tonali. Lewis Miley is wanted by clubs across Europe, but Newcastle will definitely not sell him and are unlikely to let the 19-year-old out temporarily, either, given the additional matches next season. A decision must be made on the next phase of William Osula's development. A loan offering regular game-time may be beneficial for the 21-year-old, though retaining squad depth is important, and the forward can keep improving with regular coaching on Tyneside. Newcastle have opted against enacting the one-year extension option in Callum Wilson's contract. While talks have been held with his camp over a more incentivised deal, it appears increasingly likely the 33-year-old will depart. Lloyd Kelly's initial loan to Juventus will become permanent and Newcastle will receive up to £20m for the defender, who joined on a free last summer and made only four league starts. Jamal Lewis' contract is up, and the 27-year-old left-back will leave on a free. Antonio Cordero, the 18-year-old Malaga winger, has agreed to join after rebuffing interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona. He has undertaken his promotional shots at the club already and will join the Under-21 squad. Rather than speculate on a specific budget, given the difficulty in doing so, given the caveat of how deals are structured and amortised, the expectation is that Newcastle will carry out similar business to two summers ago, when they were last preparing for a Champions League campaign. Newcastle brought in Tonali and Barnes, both established at the top level, and Livramento and Lewis Hall, exciting long-term prospects who could also contribute immediately. Around £130million was spent, alongside a deferred £28m for Hall, though it is unclear whether they have the PSR capacity for a similar outlay this summer. Advertisement Thankfully, Newcastle do not face the same PSR jeopardy as 12 months previously, with the message being that sales are not necessary before June 30 due to the money made when offloading Miguel Almiron and Kelly in January. Although Howe has publicly stressed that PSR is no longer the limiting factor it has been for three largely fruitless windows, Newcastle are still inhibited when it comes to transfer fees and especially wages. (Top photos: Getty Images)
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Paul Mitchell's Newcastle exit leaves Eddie Howe in position of maximum strength
The table was all wrong. In retrospect it offered the first clue that lack of emotional intelligence would prove central to Paul Mitchell's undoing at Newcastle. It was early last September when reporters were invited to St James' Park to meet the club's then newish sporting director. As Mitchell strode into the windowless Sir Bobby Robson suite and took his seat at the head of a very long rectangular table he neglected to notice that journalists at the opposite end were isolated from the conversation. Sure enough, he was questioned so intensely by those clustered around him that others struggled to get a word in edgeways. While it took me more than an hour of a 90-minute briefing to seize a fleeting opportunity to ask a question, an adjacently seated colleague never managed to say a single word to Dan Ashworth's successor. Mitchell appeared oblivious. Supporters might think: 'So what?' But it appeared indicative of a wider carelessness that helps to explain why the sporting director will be leaving Newcastle by 'mutual consent' this month. The previous year Ashworth had conducted a similar exercise at the training ground. On walking into the media room the then soon-to-be Manchester United‑bound sporting director surveyed rows of formal seating, shook his head and began dragging chairs into a more inclusive circle. That way everyone felt equal and could easily participate. It was a common‑sense move that won hearts and minds. Emotional intelligence is an unquantifiable yet imperative component in football's high-stakes world of fragile egos and, sometimes, almost paranoid insecurity. Mitchell shortage of soft skills provoked a needless civil, and turf, war with Eddie Howe last autumn. If failing to recognise the need for circular seating represented a mistake, his repeated reiteration that Newcastle's ostensibly successful transfer policy was 'not fit for purpose' proved incendiary. Given the manager demands a final say on signings and his nephew, Andy Howe, is a key figure in the recruitment department, it seemed arrogant macho posturing. Sadly this humility bypass would obscure the considerable good Mitchell has done on Tyneside, most notably appointing the injury-prevention specialist James Bunce. It might have been different had Amanda Staveley and her husband, Mehrdad Ghodoussi, still been around as directors and minority owners to smooth the sporting director's rough edges. Staveley is all about deal-making facilitated by emollient human connectivity. During the two and a half years she and Ghodoussi ran Newcastle on behalf of the majority owner, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, a sense of harmony prevailed. Yet since the couple were forced out last summer – apparently for assorted reasons, including a confusing overlap with the role of the chief executive, Darren Eales – the club has seemed colder and more corporate. Stress levels have risen. It did not help that Ashworth – admired by Howe for his humility and 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' approach that, paradoxically, would preface his swift Old Trafford downfall – had been persuaded the Mancunian grass was greener. Or that Eales, who had been diagnosed with blood cancer, announced he would depart once a successor was identified. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion With that moment drawing close, the chief executive and Mitchell, old friends from their Tottenham days, leave at a juncture when Howe operates from a position of maximum strength. After winning the Carabao Cup and securing a second Champions League qualification in three years, his fiercely protected power base looks bombproof. The manager's undeniable, if occasionally high‑maintenance, brilliance camouflages considerable behind‑the‑scenes turmoil at a club where the boardroom churn is hardly conducive to stability. While the available funds of about £100m need to be spent urgently yet intelligently on restocking Howe's slender squad, Newcastle's second‑tier women's team have just released 12 players and confront a complicated crossroads. PIF could do worse than replace Mitchell internally. The former Sunderland and Hibernian manager Jack Ross holds an MA in economics, has written two children's books and is head of Newcastle's strategic technical football partnerships. The former executive with the Scottish players' union and the global FifPro is smart, nuanced and empathetic; he champions women's football and, unlike his bosses, is an excellent communicator. Counterproductively, communication between the media and the Saudis is nonexistent. Yasir al‑Rumayyan, Newcastle's chair, has never spoken to reporters, let alone explained the ownership strategy or why potential moves to a new stadium and/or training ground remain pending. That might seem irrelevant to fans. Yet if, as is widely believed, purchasing the club was really all part of a sportswashing exercise intended to clean up the kingdom's blood-stained image while bolstering its embryonic tourism industry, it is also distinctly odd. Perhaps there is an acceptance that Saudi Arabia's human rights record is so atrocious that awkward questions are best avoided, but maybe it's simply a lack of empathy. Whatever the reason, the disconnect jars. The lack of trust between Mitchell and Howe ultimately spelled divorce. When eventually I asked the former whether the manager's instinctive wariness of outsiders meant winning his confidence was hard work, the reply – 'You sound like you know him better than I do' – sounded only half-joking. After that calamitous briefing the manager blanked the sporting director for a fortnight before Eales negotiated a truce that endured to the point where the announcement last Tuesday of Mitchell's impending exit prompted mild surprise. After all this, maybe the Saudis regret allowing the emotional intelligence embodied by Ashworth, now a senior Football Association executive, and Staveley to slip through their fingers.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Family RV Association Announces Dates For Future National Rallies
The RV owners group reveals plans for upcoming events in Wyoming, Georgia, and Missouri. CINCINNATI, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Family RV Association (FRVA) is gearing up for its 111th International Convention and RV Expo — themed "Rock & Roll High School" — July 16 through 19, 2025, at the CAM-PLEX Multi-Event Facilities in Gillette, Wyoming. Online and phone registrations are open until July 8. After that date, RV owners are welcome to register at the gate. The invitation extends to all RV enthusiasts; you don't have to be an FRVA member to attend. Family RV Association also has unveiled plans for future conventions. For the next two years, the association will host its spring events at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, Georgia, aiming to establish this site and event as the premier destination for RV enthusiasts and industry vendors alike. The 112th International Convention and RV Expo will take place March 18 through 21, 2026, and the 114th event will occur March 17 through 20, 2027. "The Georgia National Fairgrounds is one of our most popular convention venues — and for good reason," FRVA president Paul Mitchell said. "It's a top-notch facility with excellent buildings and parking space, and its location just off Interstate 75 makes it easily accessible for RV owners, including snowbirds heading back north in the spring. Our goal is to make this a must-attend event for RV enthusiasts each year." Looking ahead to summer 2026, Family RV Association members will gather at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri. FRVA's 113th International Convention and RV Expo will take place July 1 through 4, 2026, and attendees will celebrate America's 250th birthday — RV style — complete with fireworks on the Fourth. This marks the first time the association has hosted an international convention in Missouri, making it the 35th state the group has visited. "We're excited to be planning an event in America's heartland that coincides with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence," FRVA events director Doug Uhlenbrock said. "The RV lifestyle is all about freedom, so the timing couldn't be more fitting. We invite all RV owners to join us for this celebration." Registration for the Perry, Georgia, convention in March 2026 will begin in September 2025. Registration for the event in Sedalia, Missouri, will begin in January 2026. Meanwhile, all RV owners are invited to join the fun at "Rock & Roll High School" in Gillette, Wyoming, this July. Various registration options are available online at or by calling (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622. ABOUT FMCA: ENHANCING THE RV LIFESTYLE Family RV Association (FRVA) is the world's largest not-for-profit association for recreation vehicle (RV) owners. The organization is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has nearly 110,000 active members. Member benefits include a subscription to its bimonthly magazine, Family RVing; a Medical & Travel Assist program valued at $200 per family; a tire purchasing program; group rates on a roadside emergency service program, RV and auto insurance, and health insurance; discounted rates for RV tours and caravans; and discounts on mobile internet access and cellphone plans. Perhaps the most important benefit is the camaraderie and friendships that develop among people who enjoy the common interest of RV travel. To learn more about Family RV Association, call (513) 474-3622 or (800) 543-3622, or visit Note to media: For images and additional information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Family RV Association Sign in to access your portfolio
