Since the high-profile takeover of Newcastle United in 2021, the club has dealt with plenty of drama both on the pitch and behind the scenes. However, few situations caused as much frustration and noise as the departure of Dan Ashworth.
After joining from Brighton in 2022 to lead the club’s sporting direction, Ashworth famously pushed for a move to Manchester United just two years later.
The saga ended with him being placed on gardening leave and Newcastle eventually securing a significant compensation fee. Interestingly, his stint at Old Trafford lasted only five months, a fact that many fans on Tyneside viewed with a bit of irony.
Given how that situation played out, one might assume that other key staff members would think twice before trading St. James’ Park for the North West.
Unfortunately, it seems that the pull of Manchester United remains strong for those in the recruitment world. Recent reports suggest that Newcastle is on the verge of losing another vital member of its backroom team.
Paul Midgley, the club’s head of youth recruitment, appears to be the next figure heading to Manchester. This move would bring an end to his three-year stay in the North East, where he has been instrumental in reshaping how the club finds and develops young talent.
Midgley is expected to take on a similar role at Manchester United, a position he was reportedly offered after a very thorough selection process. It also helps that he has a pre-existing professional relationship with Jason Wilcox, the current director of football at Old Trafford.
Losing Midgley is a significant blow to the long-term vision of the club. During his time with Newcastle, the 38-year-old has been credited with a major turnaround in the quality of players entering the academy.
Under his watch, the club successfully recruited several high-profile teenagers who have since made a name for themselves. Players like Sam Alabi and Michael Mills are perfect examples of his success.
Both joined the academy and quickly became regular fixtures in the England youth international setups after showing great promise for Newcastle’s Under-18 side.
These types of signings are exactly what a club needs to build a sustainable future, and Midgley was the man identifying that talent before the rest of the league could get to them.
Because Midgley has been so successful, Newcastle is not expected to let him walk away without a fight. The club’s leadership has already shown they are willing to be firm when it comes to losing staff to direct rivals.
Just as they did with Dan Ashworth, the club is likely to demand a fair compensation package before they sign off on any move. They understand that they aren’t just losing an employee; they are losing the intellectual property and the scouting networks that Midgley has built over the last few years.
In the modern game, a good recruitment head is often just as valuable as a star player, and Newcastle intends to treat this situation with that level of seriousness.
The timing of this departure is particularly disappointing because Newcastle’s youth recruitment has finally started to look elite. For years, the academy was seen as an area that needed massive improvement, and Midgley was a huge part of the solution.
Seeing him leave just as the fruits of his labor are starting to show on the pitch is a tough pill to swallow for the fans and the board. While the club is now much more stable than it was a few years ago, losing key architects of their recruitment strategy to Manchester United is a trend they will want to stop as soon as possible.
As the club continues to grow, keeping top-tier talent in the front office will be just as important as keeping top-tier talent on the field.
