Mitchell Leaves Newcastle in Shock Boost to Howe's Power

In a surprise move that seems set to offer Eddie Howe an increased say in player recruitment, Paul Mitchell will leave his role as Newcastle's sporting director at the end of June.

- Louise Taylor

Mitchell, who joined the club last July, is departing by mutual consent without presiding over the acquisition of a major first-team signing. To say the 43-year-old and Howe initially failed to hit it off would be an understatement, but, after the manager threatened to leave Tyneside last July if the newcomer challenged his autonomy too dramatically, the relationship improved.

There was a further setback last autumn when Mitchell offered journalists a car crash of a group interview including an assertion that Newcastle's scouting system was unfit for purpose.

Yet while that went down very badly with Howe, the pair, once again, eventually brokered an apparently enduring peace deal.