Fortuna Dusseldorf's Lutz Pfannenstiel and former PSG director Antero Henrique are among the candidates being considered by Newcastle's prospective new owners for the role of technical director.
Pfannenstiel, who is famous for becoming the first footballer to play in all six continents, has been Fortuna's sporting director since their return to the Bundesliga in 2018/19, helping them to a finish mid-table in his first season despite working with a shoestring transfer budget.
Henrique - who won seven Portuguese titles during his tenure as Porto's director of football, CEO and vice-president - has also been linked to the role, and most recently spent two years with Ligue 1 heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, overseeing a period of domestic domination between 2017 and 2019.
Both are now in the sights of Newcastle's prospective new owners - Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund - as they look for a director who can operate well under a restrictive budget. They do intend to invest heavily in the club, but are aware that football will need to adjust to the financial implications of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Their search for a new director would seemingly place managing director Lee Charnley's future at the club into doubt. He's been in the role since 2014, and has overseen relegation to the Championship and promotion back to the Premier League in that time - but little other progress has been made.
However, the proposed takeover of Newcastle is far from done. To date, the deal has been mired in controversy - with alleged involvement in an illegal pirate TV and steaming service, as well as human rights violations, among a number of concerns raised.
The Premier League have stated that the issues are being 'fully considered', but there remains optimism that the takeover will approved - potentially bringing Mike Ashley's chaotic 13-year reign at Newcastle to an end.
Source : 90min