Report: Newcastle narrow down Dan Ashworth replacement to two candidates

The search for a new sporting director for Newcastle United might be over soon with two candidates remaining.

This is according to The Telegraph who claim that Dougie Freedman and Johannes Spors are the two parties remaining in the race.

I know what you're thinking: Who the chuff is Johannes Spors? At least that's what I was thinking when I read the report.

As far as we were aware before it was down to Rui Pedro Braz, Tiago Pinto and Paul Mitchell, then suddenly Doogie Freedman kicked the doors of their hinges and pushed his way to the front of the line and now this Johannes Spors has come out of nowhere to be in the final two? What's going on?

It looks like Freedman is the first choice

It really sounds as though it's Dougie Freedman's job to turn down with the Crystal Palace head of recruitment now having to decide whether to stay put or move to Tyneside. His is the name that appears in the most reports with several outlets saying that he's pretty much nailed on.

For us, we wouldn't see Freedman getting so far down the line with the recruitment process to then turn around and say he's staying at Selhurst Park, unless this has just been an exercise in getting Palace to give him a promotion and a pay rise.

Freedman is definitely our pick too, just looking at his record of signings at Palace, the man certainly knows what he's doing, and he could help us land Michael Olise too, which would be immense.

Spors doesn't feel like the right man for our club

We've been talking in the NUFCFEED office this afternoon and none of us want Johannes Spors. He is the current sporting director of 777 Group who you may have heard of as being part of a botched takeover of Everton that's hit more brick walls than a Looney Toons character.

They also hold stakes in several other clubs - Genoa, Standard Liège, Hertha Berlin, Red Star in Paris and Vasco da Gama - several of which have staged protests against their ownership. While Spors may have some good contacts, and a decent track record working with the RB Leipzig recruitment team, his involvement in 777 means he definitely doesn't sound like someone we want around our club.

Let's get Dougie Freedman in and then raid Crystal Palace for Michael Olise, Ebereche Eze and Adam Wharton. Job done.