Newcastle are eyeing a summer deal for Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly – and the man pressing ahead with talks could be set for a new role at the club.

Steve Nickson is the current head of recruitment but, in the wake of Dan Ashworth’s exit, we understand he will be considered for a redrawn sporting director/director of football position.

It was thought by some that the former school teacher would be shown the door by the club’s new ownership after their arrival in 2021. He was associated with the Mike Ashley regime and had overseen the £40million club-record signing of Joelinton, at the time a misfiring forward.

However, the new owners very quickly recognised Nickson’s work ethic and attention to detail. They believed he could work well with both hands untied, and so it proved.

The 59-year-old has formed a close relationship with Eddie Howe and the owners and, allied to excellent signings such as Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Alexander Isak and Kieran Trippier, the emergence of Joelinton as a key player has justified his original opinion of the Brazilian.

Current head of recruitment Steve Nickson (centre right) has played a key role at Newcastle

Dan Ashworth has been placed on gardening leave amid Manchester United interest

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We have been told there would be support from several on the inside if Nickson was to take over the recruitment arm of a sporting director role.

The process for filling the position (or positions) will be thorough and it has not yet begun. Former Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell has also been spoken about.

Meanwhile, talks with Kelly’s camp are continuing in the background. The 25-year-old defender is out of contract in the summer and, in an FFP world, he would represent a smart acquisition for Newcastle. However, there is competition from Milan and clubs in Germany.

Quay to the kingdom gone?

A significant bit of news that could impact on Newcastle’s potential plans to build a new stadium in the city.

Homes England has acquired the Quayside West site. The government website describes it as, ‘The largest land parcel in Forth Yards, one of the most significant brownfield regeneration sites in Newcastle’. There are plans for 1,100 new homes.

This area, located near to the Central Station and Quayside, would be a leading contender for a new stadium if Newcastle wanted to retain their city-centre location.

Could this force the club’s hand to make an offer for the site?

Click here to read our feature looking at a possible stadium move.

Future stars lost

The emergence of Carabao Cup winner Bobby Clark at Liverpool has not been lost on several around the club and close to it, given he left Newcastle aged 16 in 2021.

The midfielder, now 19 and son of former Toon favourite Lee, probably would have played 20-plus matches this season for his boyhood team had he still been at the club. He left believing his development was better served at Anfield.

That was also said to be the case with Ollie Harrison. The 16-year-old midfielder was on the bench for Chelsea at Manchester City recently, after deciding to quit the Magpies last summer. His dad, Stephen, was a well-respected coach at Newcastle’s academy but has since left for Middlesbrough.

It was Ashworth who tried to persuade Harrison to stay, before jumping ship himself last month. Did the sporting director really believe the vision of Newcastle he was selling?

Either way, the departures of promising players and key staff tells the ownership that a lot of work is still to be done behind the scenes.

Solano misses out on academy role

One man who won’t be getting a job at the academy – at least not yet – is former Newcastle star Nobby Solano.

The Peruvian, a technical wizard and veteran of 750 career games, applied for the Under-16 managerial vacancy. That was created when ex Newcastle player Ian Bogie was told by the club his time was up in January.

Former Newcastle star Nobby Solano applied for the Under-16 managerial vacancy

Solano, who was Peru assistant boss at the 2018 World Cup, was interviewed for the position but missed out, we understand, not on technical grounds, but his understanding of coaching software used on computers.

We look forward to an Apple Mac curling one in the top corner at Newcastle’s next youth-team fixture.

Good luck, Matty

The Longstaff brothers, Sean and Matty, have been an academy success story in recent years – and it was great to see Matty sign for Toronto FC in MLS this week, news broken by Mail Sport.

Matty Longstaff has left Newcastle and signed for Major League Soccer club Toronto FC

The 23-year-old suffered a serious knee injury on loan at Colchester on Boxing Day, 2022. His contract expired at Newcastle that summer but the club helped him with his rehab and he is now back to full fitness.

We wish him all the best, a genuinely good lad.

Bruno’s UK tour

You feared Bruno Guimaraes had missed the bus at Blackburn on Tuesday night when he was spotted leaving the stadium without his team-mates.

Had he been kept back for a drugs test? No, Howe had given his players the following day off and Bruno, ever the tourist, took the chance to visit another city in the UK.

You could never accuse the Brazilian of not immersing himself in our culture.

Toon Teaser…

It’s Toon Teaser time. I asked you a little puzzler last week after a member of Newcastle staff called in to test us reporters before Friday’s press conference.

We need to revisit that one first… because the answer was incomplete! A fact spotted by one eagle-eyed reader.

The question was: Thirty-three players have taken penalties for Newcastle in the Premier League. Only four of them have never scored for Newcastle from the spot. Name the four.

Newcastle players celebrate beating Blackburn in a penalty shootout on Tuesday night

There are actually five! Andy Cole. Kenedy. Joe Willock. Joselu. And the missing man… Loic Remy, who erred from the spot against Stoke on Boxing Day, 2013.

Here is this week’s question: Name the four goalkeepers who have won penalty shootouts with Newcastle (clue: one of them was this week…). I got 3/4.

The answer will be revealed at 8pm on Friday evening on our new NUFC-dedicated WhatsApp channel.

It’s free and is available HERE

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