Man Utd chief Dan Ashworth reacts to Paul Mitchell's Newcastle United transfer bombshell claim

One person reportedly ‘bemused’ by Mitchell’s scrutiny of Newcastle’s recruitment strategy is his sporting director predecessor Dan Ashworth, who is now at Manchester United.

Mitchell addressed the media for the first time last week after Newcastle failed to land a major signing during the summer transfer window, his first as the club’s new sporting director. The former Tottenham Hotspur recruitment chief questioned whether United’s strategies used to sign players is ‘fit for purpose’ and admitted he only played a ‘supporting’ role during the summer window as the club already had a predetermined transfer plan in place.

But Mitchell and Newcastle ultimately failed to land Eddie Howe’s top transfer target Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, deeming the £70million-plus asking price too much for the defender. Mitchell has assessed Newcastle’s recruitment strategy, stating the club must look further afield at a larger pool of players abroad.

This is despite the club signing Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali for significant sums of money from abroad in recent seasons. With the exception of Tonali, all of Newcastle’s foreign imports have seen their values increase significantly since signing for the club.

Newcastle invested significantly under Ashworth’s watch as sporting director with the majority of signings made by the club proving a success.

Speaking last week, Mitchell said: “Should our scouting and recruitment be driven more extensively with a wider reaching net? It definitely should be because this is becoming a really nuanced space now, when you just can't capitally fund everything every year and buying loads of players at peak age and peak price.

“Of course it needs to be, and that's the responsibility of me, the scouting team, the recruitment team and Eddie. To do that, to look at that. Is it fit for purpose? 

"It's kind of the next phase of the growth of this project. We have to become better in this area of expertise, and there's a skill.

"Was, let's say, the scouting network, the lengths and breadths of our process and our strategies in terms of just that area of expertise, including the influence of Eddie Howe, bigger and broader enough? Probably not. And that's the bit we analyse to be better.

“That's the bit where we have to adjust and modernise.”

According to The Telegraph, Mitchell’s comments have ‘hurt and bemused’ Ashworth and those involved in player recruitment at Newcastle in previous transfer windows.

Head of recruitment Steve Nickson is also understood to have been left frustrated by his reduced responsibilities since Mitchell’s arrival in July.

After playing a supporting role in the summer, Mitchell will now spearhead Newcastle’s recruitment drive and plan a new strategy for future transfer windows with the aim of expanding and improving the club’s scouting network.

While his comments may have upset several people already, Mitchell will ultimately be judged by his actions rather than his words. And after a disappointing and frustrating summer, action is most certainly needed in upcoming transfer windows.