Paul Mitchell told Newcastle United fans what to expect from him as sporting director

Newcastle United’s new sporting director, Paul Mitchell, has already given an insight into what fans can expect from his time at the club.
Mitchell was announced as Dan Ashworth’s successor on Thursday as he prepares for his first transfer window in the north east. Ashworth, meanwhile, will join Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Manchester United after the two clubs finally came to an agreement over compensation that would end his gardening leave.

Mitchell will be Ashworth’s successor with his first task to help his new club navigate a summer transfer window which began with a hectic few days of player sales. Both Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson were sold in order for the club to be able to satisfy the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules with John Ruddy and Odysseas Vlachodimos joining the club.

Long-term, Mitchell will be tasked with helping develop the club both on and off the pitch and implementing processes across the club to set them up for success in the long-term. After holding a variety of roles at previous clubs, including Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, this will be Mitchell’s second job as a sporting director.

The 42-year-old’s previous job came as AS Monaco’s sporting director – a role he would hold for over three years before leaving in October. During his time at the Ligue 1 club, Mitchell was tasked with stabilising a club that had seen a great turnover in managers and that had lost a sense of direction amid all these changes.

And Newcastle United fans can learn a lot from his time at the French club, particularly Mitchell’s insistence on patience and creating a model that can be successful in the long-term. Newcastle United missed out on European football last season after finishing 7th in the Premier League table but, judging by his previous comments about Monaco and their hopes of finishing in Europe, Mitchell will prioritise long-term success over short-term gains: “Is European football a must? I would say no,” Mitchell said in an interview with the Independent in 2021.

“The must would be planting the solid foundations to make sure we’re successful in the future. To get to the team that I left Leipzig with or even Tottenham – that dynamic, aggressive, young, hungry, intense team, that can not only play football the right way but also outwork the opponent – is going to take some cycles of transfer windows. We have to be patient.”

At that time, he also hinted at wanting to return to the Premier League in the future. Links with Manchester United have followed him for the last six years or so, whilst Mitchell was also reportedly being considered by Liverpool amid their backroom reshuffle following Jurgen Klopp’s departure.

Having spent time at MK Dons before moving to Southampton, and then Spurs alongside Mauricio Pochettino, Mitchell has now returned to the Premier League following a six-year absence. During his time away from England, he worked in the Red Bull system in Germany and the USA before moving to Monaco.