Report: Newcastle face rejection as major Premier League target opts to stay put despite positive talks

Things were looking rosy for Newcastle United recently with the news that they had offered the job to Dan Ashworth's successor and were just waiting on the green light.

Crystal Palace's head of recruitment, Dougie Freedman had reportedly been offered the role after impressing in interviews after the Newcastle board had taken note of the excellent work he'd done at Palace behind the scenes.

With Dan Ashworth still on gardening leave and evidently keen to just keep digging huge holes for himself, it was good news to see that the hunt for his replacement was coming to a quick conclusion.

Freedman had reportedly beaten out another candidate in the form of 777 Group's sporting director, Johannes Spors, but now Football Insider is reporting that Freedman has thrown a spanner in the works.

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Dougie Freedman has rejected the offer from Newcastle

Football Insider claim that sources have told them that Dougie Freedman has rejected the opportunity to join the Magpies and will instead stay at Crystal Palace.

It's worth noting that Football Insider's sources tend to be more Tesco Value brand than Heinz, but sometimes they do get things right. Although, there's a stunning lack of detail and indeed quotes in their story, so we're not putting too much stock in it just yet. (Stock ... sauces ... am I hungry?)

In what could still prove to be a cruel twist in the tale, Freedman is also on Sir Jim Ratcliffe's radar and could be poached to work alongside Dan Ashworth at Manchester United should that move ever go through.

Freedman looked like the perfect fit for Newcastle

If there's any truth in this one then that's a huge sucker-punch for the Magpies' board and indeed the fans. Freedman's record at Palace speaks for itself.

Now, there's every possibility that Newcastle will offer the job to Spors and after seeing the mess the 777 Group has made of the clubs it owns, we'd rather not have anyone associated with them at our club.

That being said, Spors' record before joining 777, working for the likes of Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, does inspire a bit of confidence, but Freedman just seemed like the perfect fit.