Newcastle United have recruited a rising Silicon Valley star as they accelerate plans to build a data department they hope can rival the Premier League’s best.
The i Paper can reveal that Kaustubh Deshpande, a 26-year-old AI specialist who has joined from top US tech firm Scale AI, began work at the club’s Benton training base last week. Deshpande’s route into the Premier League is not the usual path travelled – he graduated from UCLA with a masters in applied statistics before going to work in Silicon Valley – but there is satisfaction at the club that they have been able to attract a rising tech star to the North East.
Newcastle fought hard to get a work visa for Deshpande. The i Paper understands he is set to be joined by a second data specialist early in the summer as part of a new “vision” for the club.
Sporting director Ross Wilson, who was part of a Southampton set-up that pioneered the use of data a decade ago with their “black box” that continuously monitored potential targets, has worked with technical director Sudarshan Gopaladesikan on the strategy. It has the enthusiastic support of majority owners PIF, with data having been part of conversations at the recent Matfen Hall “off-site” summit.
Club sources have stressed that the appointments should be viewed as part of a plan to “build foundations” around the use of data at Newcastle rather than a short-term fix ahead of the next summer transfer window.
It comes alongside significant investment in scouting networks with Newcastle recently creating new roles to monitor youth markets in areas like the Balkans, Croatia and Southern Europe. The Magpies, it is being stressed, will continue to lean heavily on having expert eyes on every potential target.
Deshpande’s job will focus on recruitment but he is not a scout. He will not be finding the next Malick Thiaw or Sandro Tonali for Eddie Howe but he will help build systems and software that could give Newcastle a cutting edge when it comes to evaluating potential targets.
How Newcastle will use AI
Both new hires are about giving Newcastle deeper knowledge of the transfer market and crunching the numbers in a way that makes the almost endless amount of data out there more accessible. AI, for example, can be harnessed to accurately predict performance, injury risk or tactical fit – but it requires real experts to make that actually work in practice.
The i Paper understands that the club have already developed complex algorithms that quickly match players from around the world with their unique style of play but are keen to go much further.
Deshpande would be well-placed to help Newcastle develop their own ChatGPT-style chatbot that would allow the football and scouting department to ask quick questions of complex data.
Want a Bundesliga left-back under 24 who averages four progressive carries per game? Imagine a tool that crunches reams of data to create that shortlist in seconds. That is the sort of thing that could be coming to Newcastle in the near future. And sources insist that is just the tip of a very deep iceberg.
His arrival appears to be a sign of the direction the club is moving in. Just this week Newcastle announced a £30m investment in the existing training ground, stadium and pitch – and that will be matched by recruitment efforts centred around overhauling the squad.
There was a changing of the guard feel at St James’ Park last weekend as Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth moved on and Howe admitted there may be a “freshness” about the squad that starts next season. But behind the scenes, new roles are being appointed and existing departments are being reshuffled.
As The i Paper reported earlier this month, former loans manager Shola Ameobi is changing roles and there will be a review of the department by Wilson.
Howe appeared to confirm on Sunday that the club’s long-serving head of medical Dr Paul Catterson is departing Newcastle at the end of the campaign too – seemingly for a new job with the Premier League.
The transfers it could lead to
The i Paper gave Analytics FC – a data-driven sports consultancy used by leading Premier League clubs and across Europe – a commission to go and find under-the-radar talent who are affordable and fit their needs through the spine of the team.
Strikers
Mohamed Kader Meite (Al-Hilal)
“He’s raw but profiles superbly as a quick, high energy striker with great off ball movement. Registration rules or squad bloat might mean both parties would be open it,” says Alex Stewart,
Fisnik Asllani (Hoffenheim)
Stewart admits he is a ‘left-field’ shout but has “a high shot volume, is tall striker with superb defensive output and clever creativity”.
Promise David (Union Saint Gilloise)
Stewart says he is “unproven but has the raw tools – and the sign-off of USG’s excellent scouting department – to prosper”.
Midfielders
Nicolo Fagioli (Fiorentina)
We asked for Tonali replacements if he goes – Analytics FC reckon he could be an upgrade, offering more in terms of passing.
Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
“The gold standard” is what Stewart calls him. The £100m-rated signing would surely only sign for Newcastle, though, if they sold bit.
Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart)
Not as defensively strong as Tonali but would give Newcastle a different profile. “He gives more ball progression from a screening six role, and can carry through a press,” Stewart explains.
James Garner (Everton)
“Stability, work-rate and a decent dead ball ability,” says Stewart. Recently capped for England.
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Goalkeepers
Diant Ramaj (Borussia Dortmund)
Was on loan at struggling Heidenheim but has impressed. “Long distribution is excellent and he’s a great one v one ‘keeper,” says Stewart.
Kayne van Oevelen (FC Volendam)
“A 6ft 7ins Dutch keeper with excellent passing skills, he looks like a decent prospect,” says Stewart.
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