Newcastle’s pursuit of Michael Emenalo stalling | OneFootball

A behind-the-scenes update has emerged on Newcastle United’s attempts to land a director of football…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Magpies may wait until after the January window to make an appointment in the role. Michael Emelano is ready to start and has told the club what he would do, but the club are said to be making slow progress in their efforts to get a deal done.

He Tweeted: “Newcastle might not appoint director of football until after January window. #NUFC process making slow progress as concerns grow over urgency of situation. Reported leading candidate Michael Emenalo has submitted plans & is ready to start.”

Infuriated fans

This big blow from Ornstein will surely infuriate fans ahead of what could be a season-defining transfer window for the club in January. It remains to be seen whether or not Eddie Howe can get a tune out of the current first-team squad, following their 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Toon Army are bottom of the table and the only team in the entire division who are yet to win a single league match – having played 13 times. They face off against 19th-placed Norwich on Tuesday night and a defeat would see them move six points behind the Canaries, which could be a difficult gap to close if their troubled form continues.

1 of 10

Who scored more goals for Newcastle? An easy one to start...

Alan Shearer Shola Ameobi

This shows the magnitude of the task Howe is facing at St. James’ Park in the coming months and suggests that the current squad is not good enough – based on the evidence so far – to keep them in the division, which is why signings will be crucial in January.

Football FanCast published an article explaining why Emenalo would be a good appointment for Newcastle, citing his background at Chelsea in particular as a key reason. Therefore, bringing him in as quickly as possible would surely be beneficial to the club, especially given their dire situation in the league and how important the upcoming market is.

The signings they make over the winter could prove the difference between survival and relegation and they may have to make them without a director of football in place. This is why supporters will be infuriated by this update from Ornstein and will quite rightly be livid with PIF for not moving at a faster pace with a deal for Emenalo, as it could be a big blow ahead of the coming months.