DARREN Eales says Newcastle United will benefit enormously from what he believes has the makings of a "great partnership" between Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell.
Former Monaco and RB Leipzig supremo Mitchell arrived as Newcastle's new sporting director earlier this month and has wasted no time in getting to work, bringing in James Bunce as the club's new performance director and sitting down with Howe to formulate a transfer plan.
The Magpies endured a frantic start to the summer transfer window as they faced a dramatic race against time last month to raise the required funds to ensure they didn't fall foul of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
United have now moved into what Eales describes as a "new PSR cycle" and are cracking on with plans to strengthen the squad this summer, with the chief executive making clear club bosses will spend as much as financial restrictions allow.
And he believes Howe and Mitchell will bring the best out of each other on Tyneside.
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"We're really excited," said Eales on the arrival of Mitchell, who replaced Dan Ashworth.
"For us as we go on the journey as Newcastle United, as you know we’ve got high ambitions and want to try and improve year on year. From the discussions we had with ownership and with Eddie, when you get a chance to change you have a look and say ‘well what do you want to focus on in this role?’
"I think there were some crucial factors – firstly recruitment. 90% of the role is recruitment, that’s the easiest way you can have an impact on the team. Someone with a strong recruitment background was essential.
"Having that Premier League experience with Paul being at Southampton, obviously our paths crossed at Tottenham Hotspur as well but then also having that global sense of Paul being at Monaco and at RB Leipzig as global technical director.
"Increasingly this role is so important because in collaboration, Paul with Eddie, we’ve seen it, almost with FFP it’s like having a salary cap because there’s a certain amount you can spend.
"At Newcastle United we will spend to the maximum available headroom. There’s never a doubt, never a question we won’t put the resources in. So then it is: how do you maximise those resources?
"What that means is every decision has an impact and that’s everything from ‘can you loan a player out who is on the fringes and get a return on that?’ That helps you have more powder in your keg to put that team out there for Eddie.
"What I’m excited about is those two working together to maximise the availability of resources for Eddie on the pitch. We know what an amazing coach Eddie is and what he can do for those players when he gets them.
"We’ve seen him with a player like Anthony Gordon, watching him, seeing how he’s improved in his 18 months at the club. It’s going to be a great partnership."
Having kept hold of star assets such as Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak ahead of the June 30 PSR deadline, Newcastle's focus is now on incomings.
Eales said: "We're into a new PSR cycle and we are having those discussions.
"Paul Mitchell has come onboard and it is for him and Eddie to discuss what sort of targets they want and the areas they want to strengthen.
"It's then important to have those meetings to decide where we are going to allocate those resources to strengthen our squad. That is what we are looking to do, but these situations are very fluid."
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