Mitchell's £30m newcastle gift & unseen wins with transfer goal still possible

327 days. Or 10 months and 23 days. Otherwise known as the length of time between Paul Mitchell's Newcastle United confirmation and the statement that revealed the club's sporting

director would be leaving St James' Park come the end of June. Mitchell, appointed to much fanfare given his lofty reputation thanks to an impressive recruitment track record at the

likes of Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, is poised to depart without making a game-changing signing in these parts. That fact could change in the coming weeks - but the

43-year-old will be keen to point to other achievements since joining the revolution on Tyneside. A big reason behind Mitchell's inability to broker deals that would instantly improve

Eddie Howe's first-team revolves around the club's previously fragile relationship with Profit and Sustainability Rules [PSR]. Last summer, when the boardroom chief arrived in

mid-July, Newcastle knew any big-name arrivals would mean big-name departures further down the line. With Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak all remaining amid varying

interest from Premier League rivals, the Magpies were hamstrung. Any capture of a Marc Guehi-esque player would have resulted in the books needing to be balanced. This summer sees Newcastle

in a much healthier position. This, in part, due to Mitchell's work in attracting substantial fees for squad players. Miguel Almiron and Lloyd Kelly, both unable to force their way into

Howe's first-team, were moved on during the winter window for a combined £30m. Kelly's exit was initially a loan, which has since been made permanent due to clauses being met

during his Juventus stint. Earning a figure of that nature for two fringe players, one costing £0 last summer, is a stroke of genius in a ever-increasing world of financial logic trumping

football logic. Mitchell had his part in both departures, despite Howe's options looking thin on the ground. Those winter dealings revived old concerns that Mitchell and Howe did not

see eye to eye on transfer matters. The former's first few months in the role were spent putting out fires amid talk the duo were failing to strike up a relationship after a tumultuous

summer. Pre-season brought a bombshell Howe interview in Germany, while after the window closed Mitchell expressed his struggles with the transfer strategy he had inherited. However, in

recent months, those worries over the pair working together have died down. Mitchell has been a prominent face in and around the training ground and can be seen watching on at St James'

Park before taking his place in the traditional dressing room picture after securing all three points. The jury will still be out on Mitchell's overall performance across the last 10

months given his role, to many of the United faithful, has been seen as a recruitment-first position. In truth, he has enjoyed success in other areas of the club. His arrival led to the

introduction of right-hand man, James Bunce, who Newcastle appointed as Performance Director after a torrid campaign of injuries last time out. Bunce's experience - and close work with

Howe and his medical team - has led to an improvement in player care and post-game recovery. Mitchell has also thrown himself into offering his services and experience to Becky

Langley's women's team. The pair were in regular contact during the Women's Championship season - with Langley's side finishing 5th of 11 after their maiden season in the

division - and exchanged regular voice notes in and around training ground visits. "With Paul Mitchell and James Bunce, their energy has been really high," Langley told Chronicle

Live earlier this season. "They've been really supportive with myself and the team. "I think I'm really energised by their commitment so far to the women's team. I

think there's a real genuine interest to help." Mitchell now begins his farewell before officially leaving his role in just a few weeks. Newcastle fans may well judge him on a lack

of incoming recruitment success but he will state he has achieved plenty of unseen victories behind the scenes. That's not to say a bumper signing before he officially departs would,

admittedly, help improve his reputation for when this period of Newcastle's journey is revisited in the history books further down the line.