Report: Sporting director linked with vacant Newcastle United position joins Premier League rivals instead

This week Dougie Freedman rejected the chance to join Newcastle United as the club's sporting director after impressing in interviews and being offered the job.

It was a strange outcome given that he'd got so far in the process as to win the job, but it seems that Freedman may have been using Newcastle's interest to leverage his position at Crystal Palace.

That leaves Newcastle still hunting for a replacement for Dan "What Have I done To My Career?" Ashworth.

The Magpies had a shortlist of candidates but now with Freedman rejecting the move, the list has got shorter, and with the latest news from Bournemouth, it's got even shorter still.

AFC Bournemouth

Tiago Pinto has joined AFC Bournemouth as president of football operations

While never really a frontrunner, Tiago Pinto was on Newcastle's shortlist having put himself forward for the role after leaving AS Roma.

Now, though, the Portuguese who worked alongside Jose Mourinho has joined AFC Bournemouth as their president of football operations as revealed on their official website.

With our candidates list dwindling, and it apparently not just being a case of offering the job to Johannes Spors who was reportedly next in line for the role after his interviews, we are still left in the dark as to who our next sporting director will be. Although Football Insider has reported that Spors is now the top target - but again, that is Football Insider, so pinch of salt and all that.

Eddie Howe wants a swift resolution to the ongoing search

Eddie Howe told The Chronicle this morning after his side's 8-0 thumping at the hands of the A-League All Stars, that he hopes the issue is resolved quickly.

"For me, it is a vital appointment. We need to get the right person and ideally quickly.

"So much happens quickly at a football club. Every transfer window is hugely important. My preference would be that is sorted as quickly as it can be."

It's hardly ideal to be rejected by your first-choice candidate, but it could be worse. You could already know who is taking the job but you have to wait for them to start and all the while their career is imploding and their reputation is going up in flames.