“The club appeals to me” – Big name transfer official ‘happy’ to be joining Newcastle United

Newcastle United weren’t able to build on their win over Arsenal, with Tuesday night seeing a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

The Magpies have had a disappointing campaign in the Champions League, with the level and the weight of playing more games clearly something which Eddie Howe and his team will have to better deal with going forwards.

That will obviously include recruitment, but there will be the desire for a chunk of that to be on bargain terms rather than signing finished articles for huge sums and huge wages.

Wednesday’s edition of Dutch newspaper AD covers Newcastle United appointing Marcel Bout as their new ‘chief scout’. Bout is a huge name in the scouting world, previously working at Manchester United and having a long record with Louis van Gaal.

He’ll be based in the Netherlands, but will travel around the world, with AD pointing out that being close to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport will help him with that.

Bout himself is quoted as saying: “I have recently come into contact with Newcastle. The steady expansion of the club appeals to me. I’m also happy to be back in England and at Champions League level.”

AD report Bout’s transfer planning for Newcastle United will start immediately.