Report claims impending arrival of Ross Wilson shows Newcastle United's commitment to Eddie Howe
Ross Wilson is expected to swap the River Trent for the River Tyne as he looks to leave Nottingham Forest for Newcastle United, as the Magpies close in on a new sporting director.
The clubs are currently thrashing out a compensation package that would allow Wilson to join Newcastle sooner rather than later, hopefully avoiding any lengthy gardening leave.
Wilson will join Newcastle with a sterling reputation, with The Telegraph saying he has been likened to Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General, for his ability to take the tension out of negotiations.
However, the report goes on to suggest that Eddie Howe will retain final say on transfers, which is a rare thing for managers to be offered in the modern game.
Newcastle are doing what it can to keep Eddie Howe happy
That control is believed to be an indication of how important the Newcastle owners feel Eddie Howe is and how much power the manager has earned during his four years at the club.
Indeed, Eddie Howe is constantly linked with the England job, and should Thomas Tuchel fail in that role, you can guarantee that Howe's name will be linked again. Right now, there's even talk that Manchester United could make a move for Howe if they opt to sack Ruben Amorim, who bought himself a stay of execution by beating Sunderland at the weekend.
This has all reportedly made Newcastle's owners more determined to give Eddie Howe whatever he wants to ensure he stays at the club long-term.
Why would Eddie Howe leave what he's built at Newcastle to go to Manchester United?
With all due respect to Manchester United, we can't see any way that Howe would turn his back on what he's built at Newcastle to go and land two-footed into that dumpster fire of a club.
Dan Ashworth did that, and look how it worked out for him. Manchester United has shattered the souls of top managers such as Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, and we'd like to think Eddie Howe is clever enough not to add his name to that list.
The England job will become a harder one to ignore for Howe, we're sure, but for now, we're confident that he's not ready to turn his back on the day-to-day of club management.
