NEWCASTLE UNITED are hoping to appoint a director of football before the end of the month, with Michael Emanelo and Luis Campos both under consideration for what is being regarded as a pivotal role in the club’s future development.

While Eddie Howe’s appointment as head coach was confirmed last week, with the former Bournemouth boss preparing for his first game in charge against Brentford tomorrow, Amanda Staveley is yet to set about tackling the executive-level changes that were promised in the wake of last month’s takeover.

The appointment of a director of football, with a wide-ranging remit that will encompass all key footballing matters, is a core part of that overhaul, and Newcastle’s new owners are keen to have someone in place by the start of December so they have a full month to prepare for the transfer window.

Ajax sporting director Marc Overmars was one of the figures being considered for the role, but having become aware of Newcastle’s interest, the former Arsenal forward committed his future to his current employers.

That has left Emanelo and Campos as the leading candidates, with Staveley and her advisors keen to hold formal interviews with the pair.

Emanelo built his reputation with Chelsea, having initially been appointed on the West London club’s coaching team in 2007. He worked as chief scout and assistant first-team coach before being promoted to the position of technical director in 2011, and over the course of the next six-and-a-half years, he played a crucial role in Chelsea’s growth. He is credited with having been a key figure in the scouting and recruitment of the likes of Mo Salah, Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante.

At the start of the month, it was reported that Emanelo, whose last working role as Monaco’s sporting director came to an end in 2019, had met senior figures in the Saudi Arabian regime.

Campos, a 57-year-old Portuguese, is also currently out of work and able to take up a position on Tyneside immediately. He spent more than a decade coaching in the Portuguese lower leagues, before moving to Real Madrid where he worked as a scout and analyst under Jose Mourinho. He made his reputation as a talented sporting director at Monaco, spending three years with the Ligue 1 club and overseeing the signing of the likes of Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Anthony Martial and Bernardo Silva.

He also spent three years working as a sporting director at Lille, helping the somewhat unfashionable French club win the title last season, and has been linked with a possible move to Manchester United in the last 12 months.