The “Northern Notebook” is i‘s weekly look inside the biggest football clubs in the north of England, providing insight, analysis and news on the burning issues of the day
The next area earmarked for investment at Newcastle United is on the club’s loan department.
The Magpies are investing heavily in behind-the-scenes football operations to strengthen Eddie Howe’s team, also interviewing for a first-team nutritionist after appointing Blackburn’s Liam Mason as their new head of sport science.
Howe was personally involved in bringing highly-rated Mark Leyland from Liverpool as a first team coach and analyst and sources have raved about his impact at the training ground.
And i understands the club are set to beef up an area where ex-Newcastle player Shola Ameobi has been almost solely responsible for organising and tracking the club’s players who are out on loan. Support for loans manager Ameobi is on its way as part of ongoing football infrastructure investment – which will step up when Dan Ashworth finally joins as director of football from Brighton.
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Newcastle’s new owners are playing catch up with Premier League rivals who have huge backroom teams. Liverpool’s loan department has several members of staff and the backing of a huge data operation, for example.
Ameobi already watches the club’s loan players on a regular basis but more support would enable Newcastle to expand their operation.
i can reveal the Magpies are anticipating a busy summer transfer window but are informing agents and recruitment teams that they do not have an unlimited budget to work with.
After spending nearly £100million in January, the club will be expected to have a significant outlay again. But Eddie Howe’s comments about not having a summer revolution match the message that has gone out to the football world and outgoings may well be required to boost the budget.
They have made an approach to Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard but want a striker as a priority.
While the takeover arrived with blazing headlines about signing Kylian Mbappe and conquering Europe, the reality is there has been a desire to build slowly behind-the-scenes and a wide-ranging review of operations has been ongoing for several months.
Co-owners Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Amanda Staveley spoke on Wednesday at the launch of the Newcastle United Business Club, a newly-formed collective for local firms that advertise with the club or spend on executive packages. There is also a desire to improve the ticketing and box office operation.
Everton looking to make ‘key’ appointments
Everton are understood to have received interest from some impressive candidates after advertising for a new academy director and under-23 coach to run their youth set-up.
Away from the chaos of the relegation battle, the club are trying to establish foundations for a brighter future. Frank Lampard is understood to be committed to the club, whatever the outcome of the survival battle.
And the promise of changes to come probably explain why there is a feeling behind-the-scenes that this year’s struggles will be a one-off.
The two job adverts went live last week and the deadline is Friday for the roles. It is part of Kevin Thelwell’s wide-ranging overhaul of football operations and comes after David Unsworth departed the club last month.
The academy director is an especially important role and will be responsible for developing the club’s “football philosophy” in conjunction with Lampard and Thelwell himself.
In an email to club staff after launching the job search, Thelwell wrote: “This search for both roles will be thorough and far-reaching. Finding the very best candidate for each position is crucial, given the significance of those roles to our development pathway.
“Simply, we want to appoint the very best candidates possible for both roles.”
Bradford City poach key Middlesbrough man
Bradford City have appointed Middlesbrough’s Stephen Gent as their new head of recruitment, paving the way for the League Two club to secure the best of Boro’s young talent on loan in the summer.
Gent is well thought of at the Riverside and the club did not want him to leave. He is helping to lead a big overhaul of playing personnel at Bradford, who are targeting promotion next season.
Improvements to the club’s Apperley Bridge training ground will pave the way for the club to upgrade their academy, which produced former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom and striker Oli McBurnie.
“The work being done to enhance our facilities gives us the potential for category two status in the future,” CEO Ryan Sparks confirmed.
They hope to re-sign Hearts’ Jamie Walker, who has been on loan at Valley Parade.
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