Mitchell reveals Marc Guehi truth, explains poor summer and changes he plans to make
by Jaspar Shepherdson · 5 September 2024, 07:00
After a hugely frustrating summer transfer window that featured no major signings for the second consecutive window, Sporting Director Paul Mitchell has shared his thoughts on Newcastle's shortcomings and what unfolded behind the scenes.
Mitchell, who was appointed after the club had already sold Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh for PSR compliance, only managed to oversee the signing of Will Osula from Sheffield United, after Newcastle missed out on key targets throughout the window, including Marc Guehi.
Speaking on our pursuit of the Crystal Palace captain, he said: "We had a player as the key, core target. We were still in dialogue with Palace all the way through but Eddie was very clear, and it’s not up to me after seven weeks to say, “We’ll do this and that”, because I’m in a supporting role.
"Were there options? Of course there were, as that’s the responsibility of the department and the club. Could there have been more? I would say potentially. But Eddie was very clear that he had to feel comfortable that the person added value, because we have really good players. That’s why we ended up where we did."
In a 90-minute briefing to journalists, Mitchell then elaborated that the club already had a strategy in place for the summer window, and that it would take time for him to fully exercise his powers as Sporting Director to help steer the club in the right direction.
“You ultimately then find yourself supporting on things more than driving elements of it. That for me was a learning. There are things we got wrong in our strategy for sure. Me coming in when I did probably wasn’t the best timing for the organisation..."
Mitchell expressed his desire to see Newcastle heavily distance themselves from any potential PSR-related points deduction, which will allow the club to finally flourish into the 'sleeping giant' it's often tipped to be.
"We can’t just keep spending, spending because at some point that won’t enable the club to facilitate its goals and I don’t think any Newcastle fan wants to see this club in a place where other clubs were last season with docked points, with financial penalties because that can really affect our growth.”
Newcastle's transfer business was mainly centred on one player, Marc Guehi, with the club repeatedly submitting offers to Crystal Palace to try and secure the England International's signature. But Mitchell believes the club was "too narrow" in terms of scouting and targeting defensive options, which harmed it in negotiations. “You can be on multiple deals at any one time, the focus doesn’t have to be that narrow", he added.
The high cost for Guehi, as well as many other targets, looks to have been perceived internally as a "Newcastle tax" and the decision to end the Guehi pursuit at £70m+ is said to have ben a joint-decision between himself, Manager Eddie Howe, and CEO Darren Eales.
Mitchell appears to understand the great levels of frustration many feel about the club's lack of major transfer activity, but issued a stern reminder that the club's long term goals could prohibit lavish spending as seen in previous windows since the October 2021 takeover.
"Can we spend to the same level as what we've spent the last two and a half years? When sustainability is real, you cannot keep spending and not selling any football players. The maths doesn't work."
“Would it have been easier to sit in front of you all (reporters) with hallmark signings that cost a load of money? Of course it would...that’s not the job I’m paid to do. I’m paid to look after the club in the short, medium and long-term."
This should not dissuade Newcastle fans however, as 43-year-old Mitchell remained positive that the squad would receive the reinforcements it needed when the situation would arise in the future.
"I think we have to be smarter and more intelligent not to find ourselves in that hole again. So I think that there is a strategy that comes into play. I think if we could have signed a player that we actively could make a really good squad better, would we? Of course we would."
"I think you look at the teams that have really heavily spent this summer, they've sold players at certain points in the last couple of years, that has helped fund their spends this year, we haven't in the last two-and-a-half years."
Mitchell also hinted at casting the net further afield, feeling there "needs to be more balance" and a "stretching" of our radius to ensure we look all over the world for new additions:
"It’s normal for clubs to look domestically first, there just probably needs to be more balance looking externally, globally and looking that way and stretching our radius."
He added to this, believing Howe accepts that we must level up our approach to scouting: "I think Eddie recognises good players and he also recognises this club is evolving to be bigger, and bigger and bigger. If you look at the super clubs, their infrastructure, their recruitment, they don’t just look at one market only.
"They have a wider scouting and recruitment network. I think Eddie is smart enough to understand - and he definitely is - that to go to the next level that you do have to diversify. Otherwise, you just stay local and retire. I think our ambition is much greater than that."
‘Eddie has shown an ability to evolve over time . Coming to Newcastle posed different challenges to Bournemouth. Eddie is very smart and I think he knows there needs to be evolution."
