Man Utd chief Dan Ashworth blamed for Newcastle’s dire transfer window as successor calls strategy ‘not fit for purpose’

PAUL MITCHELL blamed predecessor Dan Ashworth for Newcastle’s underwhelming transfer window and says the recruitment team assembled by him were not “fit for purpose”.

Ashworth left St James’ Park for Manchester United and was replaced by ex-Tottenham and Monaco chief Mitchell as sporting director two months ago.

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But the new man has come under fire from the Toon Army after failing to deliver the top-class centre-half Eddie Howe wanted following the failed pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.

Right-wing was another position the Magpies boss wanted to strengthen but he was left with only defender Lloyd Kelly, a free transfer from Bournemouth, and £10m forward William Osula from Sheffield United as outfield additions.

Mitchell said: “You look at the money we have invested up to this point, £250 million net over the last two-and-a-half years.

“It’s a lot of money and was our model in place to be able to spend more to the levels we would have liked to keep enhancing the team? 

“I don’t think it was, because we haven’t sold a player during that time, barring what we were forced to do through legislation of PSR.

“There hasn’t been a clear strategic strategy over the last five years to say once we get to this point, can we keep enhancing the team with the same level of investment?

“I don’t think that was factored into the strategies we had and that is a learning for everyone but I do think we have to be more global in our vision of the players we sign.

“I think the skill, whether it be personal philosophy or the demands of financial fair play has to come into play where you have to find undervalued talent at a certain age profile.”

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Mitchell then took aim at the recruitment team set-up by Ashworth, who has overseen the big-money buys of Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs De Ligt, Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee since his arrival at Old Trafford.

He added: “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?

“Not last winter gone, the winter before that. Is it fit for purpose in the modern game, with the modern challenges? 

“Because other clubs that have maybe adopted a different approach over time, with more intelligence, maybe more data-informed than what we are, actually prospered, didn’t they, this window? 

“And I think that’s where we have to grow to be now.

“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.”