Newcastle take next step in Ashworth masterplan with new recruit to target key transfer market

Newcastle take next step in Ashworth masterplan with new recruit to target key transfer market

Newcastle United are recruiting scouts from across the globe in a bid to bring in the most promising talent to the academy and Borja de Matias will reportedly lead their efforts in South America

Eddie Howe has outlined Newcastle United’s transfer remit to target ‘elite’ signings in the upcoming window. However, the prospective deal for Yankuba Minteh and news of the latest scouting addition confirm the Magpies are not only in the market for headline acquisitions this summer.

Sporting director Dan Ashworth has often stressed the need for Newcastle to build a stronger ‘pathway’ between the academy and the senior setup, with Lewis Miley becoming the latest graduate with his first-team debut on the final day at Chelsea. Garang Kuol was one of several youth recruits last summer, with Minteh seemingly set to become the latest academy signing.

Newcastle are evidently casting their net far and wide in the search for rising stars, and have now reportedly made a move into the South American market after hiring Borja de Matias. The former Chicago Fire head scout will become the Magpies’ chief scout for the continent, according to Spanish outlet El Comercio.

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De Matias has been out of football since a brief stint as an assistant coach at Sporting Gijón came to an end in January this year. The former television analyst reportedly became highly regarded for his ‘extensive knowledge’ in South America, and took his first steps as an analyst under former Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino at Independiente in 2015.

De Matias would soon follow Pellegrino to La Liga with Alaves, where a three-year stint would lead him to join Chicago Fire initially as a scout. A return to La Liga would only last nine months due to the dismissal of coach Abelardo Fernández, and the 37-year-old is now set to begin work with Newcastle.

The appointment will be the latest in a lengthy overhaul of the club’s recruitment operations. Eddie Black recently joined as lead academy scout, following the likes of Paul Midgley (head of youth recruitment), Paul McLaren (head of national youth scouting), and Delroy Ebanks (lead academy scout in the south).

The addition of De Matias is an early sign of the club’s intent to target a market which delivered success stories for Ashworth at his former club Brighton. Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister were brought in for low fees from Independiente del Valle and Argentinos Juniors respectively, and the duo are expected to leave this summer for huge profits.

Julio Enciso is the latest South American prospect to make the breakthrough with the Seagulls, already registering four goals and three assists in English football since arriving last summer in a reported £9.5 million deal. Kuol’s arrival and the likely signing of Minteh already prove Newcastle are willing to recruit from unfamiliar markets, and the hire of De Matias is the latest step in the club’s bid to build a global network of talent spotters

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Newcastle transfer rumours with Dominik Szoboszlai ‘very open’ to Magpies move

All of the latest Newcastle United transfer headlines including reports on RB Leipzig star Dominik Szoboszlai and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice

Szoboszlai ‘very open’ to transfer

Dominik Szoboszlai has done little to dispel the rumours of a blockbuster transfer to Newcastle United this summer. The RB Leipzig star confirmed he dreams of a move to a ‘big club’, while in contrast it is perhaps telling team-mate Dani Olmo agreed a contract extension in response to rumours surrounding his own future.

Now, Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has claimed the in-demand midfielder is ‘very open’ to the prospect of a summer exit. The Hungary international’s stance has been shaped by the ‘concrete interest’ from Newcastle, with a release clause in the region of £60 million in play.

Szoboszlai is said to have angered the club’s hierarchy with his recent interviews, having repeatedly refused to stress his commitment to the Bundesliga side.

Rice latest

Declan Rice has been among the ‘elite’ targets recently linked with a St James’ Park switch. The West Ham midfielder is expected to move this summer, with the upcoming Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina providing the chance for the perfect swansong.

Newcastle continue be to considered a potential destination for Rice, but the latest reports indicate Arsenal are emerging as the frontrunners. The Times claim the 24-year-old would prefer to remain in London, despite interest from German champions Bayern Munich.

However, an asking price in excess of £100m could prove a stumbling block for the Gunners. It is why the report suggests Mikel Arteta is open to the sale of Kieran Tierney to top-four rivals Newcastle in order to raise funds for Rice.

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