Newcastle United’s youth scouting, recruitment and progression system has seen a notable improvement in the four years since the 2021 takeover.

A lot of that has come down to the work of Paul Midgley, our current Head of Youth Recruitment, who has done some brilliant work in sounding out and signing a number of top Under-18 talents since his arrival from Man City in 2022.

Last month, it was revealed that none other than Manchester United were looking to poach Midgley in what would’ve been a real blow to Newcastle.

However, on a day where Eddie Howe has also distanced himself from a move to Man Utd, Midgley has also rejected a potential move to the Red Devils…

Man Utd snubbed by Midgley

According to The Mail’s Craig Hope, Paul Midgley has confirmed to Newcastle United staff that he is set to stay on Tyneside, turning down the role of Man Utd’s Head of Academy Recruitment.

Midgley was the front runner for the job after an extensive search by the higher ups at Old Trafford, and was a preferred choice of former colleague and current sporting director Jason Wilcox, who he knew from his time at Man City.

The news will no doubt have thrown a spanner in the works at Man Utd, who are still waiting to appoint a replacement for the departing Luke Fedorenko.

It’s another damning indictment on the organisational and administrative mess that the club has become, as their search for both a caretaker and permanent replacement for Ruben Amorim also continues behind-the-scenes.

A huge boost for Newcastle

For Newcastle, convincing Midgley to stay is a real statement of intent from sporting director Ross Wilson: this could very well have become a similar situation to Dan Ashworth’s departure, but thankfully that has been avoided.

In his report, Hope claims that Midgley held positive talks with Wilson, Steve Nickson and academy director Steve Harper, and it seems certain to say that the quartet are all united in their plans for the future.

Getting to work alongside Nickson and his growing international network is also cited as one of Midgley’s reasons for staying, and it’s a clear sign that youth recruitment and development will be a cornerstone of the entire Newcastle project moving forward.

In the last month alone we’ve seen the likes of Sean Neave, Sam Alabi and Leo Shahar find themselves in the matchday squad for the senior side, and it feels like only a matter of time before one of them follows in the footsteps of Elliot Anderson and Lewis Miley in being a choice backed by Howe to make the starting XI.