Newcastle United are on the hunt for a new sporting director.

Whether or not it will prove to be any great loss going forward is up for debate of course but there is little doubt that the departure of Dan Ashworth was not in PIF’s plans at Newcastle.

Ashworth remains on gardening leave as Manchester United attempt to pull together a compensation package suitable for Newcastle to allow him to start working at Old Trafford.

While those conversations are surely ongoing, the club are in the market for a replacement.

As you can imagine, plenty of names have been linked.

Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman is believed to be the frontrunner, although Johannes Spors has also been linked.

Spors has worked across Europe in roles at the likes of RB Leipzig and Hamburg, albeit Freedman is said to have impressed during an interview with the club.

It seems they are the final two candidates and sources close to Geordie Boot Boys have provided an update.

Newcastle have now decided on who will be there new sporting director

A source has told GBB that it is Freedman who is now set for the role at St James’ Park.

Freedman boasts a good reputation from his time with Palace, a period in which he’s brought some of the most exciting EFL talent to Selhurst Park. Simon Jordan of talkSPORT, who worked with Freedman at Palace, hailed him as “very clever” in his role.

The former Scotland international is, interestingly, understood to have gone for the role at Man United to work under Ashworth when he eventually comes in.

The Red Devils, however, opted to take Jason Wilcox from Southampton instead.

Dougie Freedman is facing a big challenge at Newcastle

Working as a sporting director for a club like Newcastle must be a dream job, at least on paper.

Fiercely ambitious under PIF ownership and willing to spend money, it’s a club on the up.

However, as ever, there’s a catch.

FFP limitations may limit what the club can do this summer, which perhaps explains the decision to go with Freedman. The hope surely will be for him to continue the fine work he did at Palace in signing developing young talent at potentially cheaper prices.

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