Former Man Utd man set to join Newcastle United for January as Eddie Howe confirms 'welcome addition'

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has confirmed a 'welcome addition' to the club's recruitment network.

The Magpies are set to appoint former Manchester United scout Marcel Bout as a new chief scout for players aged 16 to 23. Bout joined Man United under Louis Van Gaal in 2014 and has also worked at Bayern Munich and with the Netherlands national team.

He left his role as Manchester United's chief global scout in 2022 and has since confirmed he has been in talks with Newcastle regarding a return to England.

"I have recently come into contact with Newcastle," Bout told AD Sportwereld. "The steady expansion of the club appeals to me. I’m also happy to be back in England and at Champions League level."

And Newcastle head coach Howe explained the role Bout will have at the club.

"It's something that I'm not directly involved in," Howe told reporters. "It's a club appointment made internally so I don't think it will necessarily be impacting first-team recruitment, I think it's more on the younger side.

"It's certainly a welcome addition to the football club."

Bout's arrival is well-timed ahead of the January transfer window with Newcastle looking to bolster their squad amid a number of injury concerns and a long-term suspension to £52million summer signing Sandro Tonali. The Magpies' recruitment network has been significantly expanded in recent seasons with the appointments of a number of scouts both nationally and internationally.

With Newcastle having to navigate Financial Fair Play regulations while also improving the side in the long term, sporting director Dan Ashworth has placed emphasis on signing younger players for more modest transfer fees.