This is an extremely important transfer window for Newcastle United, and Paul Mitchell is suddenly the man who is calling the shots.
Newcastle United need to get their recruitment right, and that will be the task of new sporting director Paul Mitchell.
He has arrived to replace Dan Ashworth, who has now moved to Manchester United. Newcastle got £10million in compensation for Ashworth, who does not leave with the best wishes of Toon fans.
Instead, Newcastle supporters are excited about the appointment of Mitchell. He has had recruitment roles at some major clubs and done some brilliant work, and that will hopefully prove to be the case for him at St James’ Park.
The Magpies have a £100million transfer budget to play with, which should allow the club to make at least one marquee signing.
And if Mitchell, who has been given greater control over Newcastle’s recruitment, can do a deal for one of his former signings then he will immediately outshine everything that Ashworth did during his time at St James’ Park.
Paul Mitchell can immediately cement Newcastle legacy with blockbuster signing
Mitchell has overseen some brilliant transfers during his career, and he needs to do the same for Newcastle this summer.
The Magpies are in the market for an attacker to compliment Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, so perhaps Mitchell should make a move for a player he signed when he was head of recruitment at RB Leipzig.
Fast forward to the present day and Olmo is shining for Spain at Euro 2024, helping them reach the final with moments of magic against Germany and France.
The 26-year-old is the joint top scorer at the tournament, netting three goals so far. He has been absolutely outstanding, showcasing the type of skill and creativity that Newcastle are looking for in an attacker.
For Spain, Olmo plays as an attacking midfielder. But he has spent the majority of the season operating on the right of attack for RB Leipzig. He has the type of versatility that Eddie Howe loves, and a deal would attract the same kind of excitement as Sandro Tonali’s arrival last year.
It would be a wildly ambitious move, but perhaps Mitchell’s history with Olmo could make this pipedream a reality.
Of course, there has been nothing to suggest that Newcastle United are interested in the playmaker this summer. Olmo was linked with the Magpies last year, but only tentatively.
Dani Olmo has a release clause at RB Leipzig
If, and it is a big if, Newcastle were to move for Olmo then they would need to move fast.
That is because he has a release clause in his contract – but only until July 15th. Clubs have the opportunity to buy Olmo for £51million, but only until Monday.
Once that date passes, his release clause will expire – much like Bruno Guimaraes’ did at Newcastle.
It has been reported by the Mirror that Olmo has interest from the Premier League ahead of the expiration of his release clause. However, they add that he will not be joining Chelsea or Liverpool.
For a club like Newcastle, it will be incredibly difficult to convince a player as talented as Olmo. He is on top of the world given his exploits at Euro 2024, while the Magpies are no longer competing in Europe.
But the Paul Mitchell factor is what is important, while iNews did report last month that Newcastle could pull off a surprise signing in July.
It might be wishful thinking, but we are certainly dreaming about seeing Dani Olmo in a black and white shirt, as unlikely as it might be.
