It was another big day at Newcastle United.
On Friday morning, the club’s women’s footballers – fresh from promotion from the fourth tier, the Division One North of the National League – were called to a meeting where they were told the club would be turning professional from next season.
Just two years ago the players effectively paid to play, the club operating on a shoestring budget under the auspices of the club’s Foundation.
From next season they will be paid competitive salaries, train through the week, and a new development team will be set up to give promising players access to the new set-up.
i understands a recruitment budget will also be provided to add players, with director of football Dan Ashworth working closely with head of women’s football Su Cumming and head coach Becky Langley – who went full-time last year – to bring in new players.
The target is another promotion this year and a place in the Women’s Super League. The club’s masterplan is aiming for the Champions League by the 2026-27 campaign and Newcastle’s ownership group have been buoyed by crowds of more than 20,000 when they have played at St James’ Park.
Langley, who has leant on Eddie Howe for advice in the last year, said: “This is a monumental moment. We hope to be a leading light in the movement towards professionalism in the women’s game and inspire women and girls who dream of pursuing a career in football.”
— Newcastle United Women (@NUFCWomen) June 23, 2023
@BeckyLangley4 :“We hope to be a leading light in the movement towards professionalism in the women's game and inspire women and girls who dream of pursuing a career in football.”
Our manager.pic.twitter.com/duPYf3AH0s
Critics will ask whether this is another attempt to “sportswash” by the club’s 80 per cent owners, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. But the enthusiasm for the women’s team and growing the game in the North East has been a constant theme for co-owner Amanda Staveley, who has been a visible and supportive presence at matches with her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
CEO Darren Eales said the club is a “hugely important part of our vision” and hailed it as a “historic moment” for Newcastle and the women’s game.
It is that but as with everything at St James’ Park, it will attract interest from those watching the increasing Saudi influence over the game. It is only a few months since an uproar among federations and high-profile players saw FIFA end negotiations with the Saudi tourist board about sponsoring this summer’s World Cup.
The pace of progress at Newcastle shows no slowing.
Across the continent in Cluj-Napoca in Romania the final details were being ironed out in Newcastle’s £60m transfer of Italy under-21 captain Sandro Tonali – another statement capture from the Magpies.
Ashworth and head of recruitment Steve Nickson spent 48 hours in Milan working on the framework of the deal and believe Tonali is a potential game changer for Newcastle. He is yet another who will “go on the journey” with the club.
An announcement is expected early next week that the 23-year-old has signed a six-year contract, bringing to a conclusion Newcastle’s interest in what the i understands was always their top midfield target.
i also understands there remains enough funds to bring in another “elite” midfielder and the club are also looking to move swiftly to sign their next target. After that they will be forced to box clever in the market, aware that Financial Fair Play will curtail some of their instincts to spend.
Although they like James Maddison, RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai is another on the Newcastle radar. A £61m release clause expires at the end of the month.
One wild rumour circulating in midweek can be discounted: Newcastle are not planning to utilise their Saudi connections to loan Ruben Neves from Al-Hilal.
While PIF have taken ownership of a group of four clubs in the rapidly expanding Saudi Pro League, they have set up a company to run them on behalf of the fund. Newcastle, senior sources insist, will not benefit in any way from the squad building going on in the Kingdom.
Instead, their recruitment profile will continue to follow the path set out by Tonali. He is 23 and follows Aleksander Isak, signed as a 22-year-old, Bruno Guimaraes, signed at 24, and Sven Botman, signed aged 22, as young, up-and-coming talent.
He is not the finished article but as well as believing he is a dynamic, athletic midfielder who can free Guimaraes from some of his defensive responsibilities, club sources see potential for him to improve.
Milan have negotiated a sell-on clause as part of the transfer, which is a record for any Italian footballer. At the moment that feels like a moot point: Newcastle have turned from selling club to proactive buyers, hoovering up some of the best emerging talent in Europe.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/AZqEia9
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