Newcastle United are set to appoint a new sporting director following the departure of Paul Mitchell in June.

Eddie Howe has admitted he is ‘desperate’ for Newcastle United to appoint a new sporting director after navigating the summer transfer window without one in place.

Right at the start of the summer, Paul Mitchell’s departure as sporting director as Newcastle was confirmed after less than a year in the role.

Now, The Magpies have been on the hunt for a third sporting director in three seasons with Howe keen for an appointment to be made.

Nottingham Forest’s chief football officer Ross Wilson has been heavily linked with the role but an official appointment is yet to be made.

Eddie Howe opens up on sporting director situation

It has been claimed Howe doesn’t like working under a sporting director, something the Newcastle head coach refutes.

But it’s clear Howe and former sporting director Mitchell rarely saw eye to eye during the latter’s brief stint at the club.

“I don’t know where that has come from,” Howe said in response to the suggestion he doesn’t like working with a sporting director. “I’m desperate for a sporting director. The way the modern football club works, I think you need that person with the expertise, the person who’s going to lead the club in all sorts of different ways.

“That might be the academy, transfers, it’s a never-ending network now that the sporting director has to navigate his way through. So it’s an absolutely pivotal position.”

Without having to say so, Howe made his strained relationship with Mitchell clear as he failed to mention him when discussing past sporting directors he’s worked with.

“I had a very good relationship with Dan Ashworth and a very good relationship with Richard Hughes at Bournemouth for many years,” Howe added. “We need the position filled, but ideally with the right man, the man who can lead the club forward in many different ways to a very successful era. I’m fully supportive of the position.”

Eddie Howe surprise at Paul Mitchell's departure

Mitchell officially left Newcastle by mutual consent just days after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.

Reflecting on the news, Howe said: “Yeah, well, my phone exploded. I was just in, I think I was enjoying my second day of my holiday. And that quickly went sour because then suddenly I'm like, ‘oh’.

“So yeah, it was the second day. I didn't know. It was a complete surprise to me and a big disappointment because we had stability.

“We were planning the summer ahead. And then, you know, that's a big upheaval internally that we've been through before with Dan Ashworth leaving. So I've experienced before, and I know sort of the cost that that departure comes with.

“It wasn't, wasn't a good first couple of days on holiday for me!”

Newcastle were ultimately able to navigate a turbulent summer window with a club record transfer spend of around £250million on six new players while also recouping around £165million in player sales, most notably the Premier League record transfer of Alexander Isak to Liverpool.