Dan Ashworth hurt by Newcastle sporting director’s ‘not fit for purpose’ transfer claims

Dan Ashworth and other former members of Newcastle United’s recruitment team have been hurt and bemused by claims from new sporting director Paul Mitchell that the club’s transfer structure was “not fit for purpose”.

Telegraph Sport has been told by multiple sources that Mitchell’s criticism has not gone down well with those who were involved in signing players before he took over. These include Ashworth, who left the club in February for Manchester United, as well as former co-owner Amanda Staveley, her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi and chief scout Steve Nickson.

Manager Eddie Howe was also frustrated by the failure to sign any new players for his first-team squad this summer, as Telegraph Sport previously reported.

Some have privately expressed frustration that their recruitment decisions were questioned by Mitchell and are proud of their record while in charge at St James’ Park. One has even suggested this was an attempt to blame others for his own failure to sign a marquee player in his first window.

Mitchell explains lack of summer signings

In an interview last week, Mitchell criticised Newcastle’s scouting and data analysis practices and also suggested they have overpaid for players since the takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund back in 2021.

Mitchell had come in for some intense criticism after failing to sign a single player to improve Howe’s first team following his appointment in July, and has tried to explain to supporters what happened.

There were mitigating circumstances. Mitchell had only seven weeks in the role before the window shut and insisted he had played only a “supporting role” as he pursued players who were already on a shortlist of potential targets.

The most high profile of those was Crystal Palace’s England international Marc Guéhi, with a public month-long attempt to sign the 24-year-old, led by Mitchell, eventually failing with less than 48 hours of the window remaining.

On deadline day, Newcastle also made an attempt to sign Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga, whom the club had already tried to sign in June as part of the deal in which midfielder Elliot Anderson moved to the Midlands.

Mitchell is determined to improve the club’s global scouting reach as well as its use of data analysis and his straight-talking style has gone down well with the rest of the board at St James’ Park.

Instead of constantly signing established stars – Newcastle have spent about £350 million since the takeover by PIF, with minimal sales – he also wants to look for better-value additions by unearthing young, hidden talent. That will, in turn, make Newcastle better at selling players in order to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

January bid for prime target expected

There is confidence internally that Newcastle will become smarter in the transfer market with Mitchell in charge of recruitment and people should not judge him on a disappointing first window. Mitchell’s attention has already turned to January and the club, having not blown its budget in the summer by paying more than £70 million for Guéhi, intend to be active in the winter window, with a renewed bid for the Palace man expected.

But in suggesting Newcastle had overpaid in the past and were also looking at too small a player pool for talent, Mitchell has upset some of those responsible for the decision making before he arrived. Ashworth and Mitchell know each other well and the former is understood to have been particularly disappointed that a fellow sporting director would resort to criticising the previous regime as it is not something he has ever done.

The insinuation from Mitchell was that Newcastle were too focused on signing players with Premier League experience. Sources, though, have pointed out to Telegraph Sport that most of the big-money signings made since the takeover had come from foreign leagues, including Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes (£35 million), Dutch defender Sven Botman (£35 million), Swedish striker Alexander Isak (£63 million) and Italy international midfielder Sandro Tonali (£55 million).

With the exception of Tonali, who has only just returned from a ten-month ban for breaching gambling rules, all are worth considerably more now then the money Newcastle paid in 2022 and 2023.

Only Bruno was signed before Ashworth arrived from Brighton and the former FA director of elite development was also responsible for the £6 million signing of winger Yankuba Minteh last year, who was sold to Brighton for £35 million this summer to ensure Newcastle complied with PSR rules.

It has also been pointed out that although Newcastle had to spend heavily on players like striker Chris Wood (£25 million), Kieran Trippier (£13 million) and Matt Targett (£12 million) in January 2022, they were second from bottom in the Premier League and needed players urgently to avoid relegation immediately after the takeover.

In defence of Mitchell, though, Newcastle did pay £28 million for Lewis Hall, who started only eight league games last season, as well as £32 million for Tino Livramento from Southampton last year. Livramento, though, was called up by England for this international break and appears to have finally replaced Trippier as first-choice right-back for his club this season.

Hit or Miss? Dan Ashworth’s Newcastle transfer record dissected

Mitchell was right to argue that Newcastle’s level of spending – without recouping money from sales – was unsustainable, but there were far more hits than misses in the period before he arrived.

Kieran Trippier - £13m from Atletico Madrid

The first signing of the new era at St James’ Park and he has been one of Howe’s most important players. Superb at both ends of the pitch, as captain he was also a superb leader behind the scenes. For many supporters, he is the best right-back to have played for the club in living memory although at the age of 33 his powers are waning and Newcastle were unable to find a buyer in the summer.
Verdict: HIT

Bruno Guimaraes - £35m from Lyon

The Brazil international has taken the captain’s armband from Trippier this summer amid concerns about the latter’s future at the club in pre-season and he has been magnificent. Newcastle inserted a £100 million release clause in his new contract for a reason but were relieved when nobody activated it this summer. Probably Newcastle’s most talented player.
Verdict: HIT

Matt Targett - £12m from Aston Villa

Helped keep the team up in his first season but has struggled since and has been plagued with injuries.
Verdict: MISS

Chris Wood - £25m from Burnley

Newcastle knew they were overpaying for the New Zealand target man at the time but they were in the bottom three and were desperate for a striker. Needs must. He scored only five goals in 38 appearances before he was sold to Nottingham Forest for £15 million a year later.
Verdict: MISS

Sven Botman - £35m from Lille

Brilliant in his first season as Newcastle qualified for the Champions League. Turned down a move to AC Milan to move to England, but last season was badly affected by a knee injury which eventually required surgery. Will not return until December.
Verdict: HIT

Alexander Isak - £63m from Real Sociedad

One of the best all-round strikers in the Premier League and has only got better over the last two years. The club’s record signing, but worth every penny so far, although there are doubts about his durability as he has suffered from injuries throughout his career. 
Verdict: HIT

Anthony Gordon - £45m from Everton

Initially struggled to get into the side and was disappointing when he did, but was Newcastle’s best player last season and deservedly broke into the England squad. His energy, speed and goals have been a vital part of Newcastle’s armoury for the past 12 months
Verdict: HIT

Sandro Tonali - £55m from AC Milan

Given he was banned for 10 months shortly after arriving, it has to go down as a miss but the Italian is a fine player and could turn into a brilliant signing now he is playing again.
Verdict: MISS (but could easily become a hit)

Harvey Barnes - £45m from Leicester City

Replaced the hugely popular Allan Saint-Maximin last summer and his first season was ruined by injuries. Still weighed in with some vital goals and has started this season really well.
Verdict: HIT

Lewis Hall - £28m from Chelsea

This is an awful lot of money for a project player who could not get into the starting XI even when Newcastle were decimated by injuries last season. There have been signs of improvements but still in and out of the side.
Verdict: MISS

Tino Livramento - £32m from Southampton

Did Newcastle really need another right-back last summer when they already had Trippier and Emil Krafth? That is the only question really. They also paid a lot for a player who had just been relegated to the Championship and was coming off the back of a serious injury. However, he was a succession-planning signing, appears to now be first choice, and has just been called up by England. 
Verdict: HIT