Newcastle United need a new Sporting Director.

Dan Ashworth is on Gardening Leave as he gears up to join Manchester United in the near future, and the Magpies need to replace their transfer chief.

Rumours around who could replace Ashworth have been rampant over the past few months, and according to Craig Hope, speaking on his YouTube channel, Dougie Freedman is now the man likely to get this job.

Hope says that this is now Freedman’s job if he wants it, and the journalist does expect the Crystal Palace chief to make the move to Newcastle.

Dougie Freedman likely to join Newcastle

Hope shared what he knows about the Sporting Director situation at St James’ Park.

“Dougie Freedman is right in the frame. He was in the final three candidates and that’s now down to the final two.

“For a long while, everything back to me has been as far and as strong as to say that it’s Freedman’s job to turn down. He has real strong support on the inside.

“Freedman is the one for me who I think it will be. There has been reports of Johan Spors, and I know Steve Nickson was also spoken to a lot about this role.

“To answer the question, the answer is now that I think it looks like it will be Dougie Freedman.

“Freedman isn’t someone I knew a great deal about a couple of weeks ago, but when you look at his body of work and you speak to people in the game, wow, it’s really impressive.”

Dougie Freedman has earned this move

Dougie Freedman could be an inspired hire by Newcastle, and, in all honesty, he’s earned the right to move to the richest club in the world.

Freedman has quietly become one of the most savvy transfer market operators around.

Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Adam Wharton were all signed by Freedman for bargain fees, and that ability to spot a player will be huge at a club like Newcastle where ambitions are high.

Dan Ashworth did a fantastic job at Newcastle, but there’s reason to believe Freedman could be even better in this role.