According to L’Equipe, Lille’s Sporting Director Luis Campos has turned down an astronomical offer from Newcastle United, but did inform them that he might be able to make recommendations to them via his Scoutly company, provided Lille President Gerard Lopez permits.
Breaking | Luis Campos has turned down an astronomical offer from Newcastle United to become their Sporting Director, according to L’Équipe.
He did inform NUFC that he might be able to make recommendations to them via his Scoutly company, if Lille President Lopez allows him to.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) May 19, 2020
Would-be Magpies owners are keen to make the Portuguese the club’s director of football post-takeover, but he has no intention of leaving Lille despite formally asking to leave on Monday, and he is rather seeking for the club to make changes to the internal hierarchy.
Campos is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur, with reports last night claiming that he is set to join Jose Mourinho at the North London club.
L’Équipe affirm that Luis Campos has no intention of leaving Lille but is rather seeking for the club to make changes to the internal hierarchy. More follows tomorrow.
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) May 19, 2020
It remains to be seen where the recruitment guru will be next season, but Newcastle might have to look elsewhere for a sporting director, and former Valencia director of football Pablo Longoria could still remain an option.
Here is how some Toons fans on Twitter have reacted to L’Equipe’s claims that Campos has turned down the club’s offer:
I would assume it’s the buyers offering in principle which would go with many reports
— ويل ثوركيتل (@thurkettlewill) May 20, 2020
I doubt they’ll wait until it’s officially announced before they make any moves behind the scenes
— tonynufc1 (@tonynufc18) May 20, 2020
This means the takeover is done if we’re looking for this sort of staff, surely..?
— Dan (@danmcfadyenn) May 20, 2020
they can offer a job if they know the takeover is going through, doesn’t have to be announced
— Kieron 🇸🇦 (@SaudiKieron) May 20, 2020
Does tie in with the claim that they’re planning as if they own the club, the tests being simply a formality. The stuff they can do before addressing the inside of the club like facilities which they won’t have access to until it’s confirmed.
— Nathan (@nbgnufc) May 20, 2020
The magpies are are more bigger than Spurs in terms of everything, they are not even comparable.
— Dalmar Yunis (@DalmarYunis) May 20, 2020
There another Newcastle United out there, where the owner isn’t cheap, that we don’t know about?
— Pope of the Misanthropes (@misanthropepope) May 20, 2020
huge dub
— Kieron 🇸🇦 (@SaudiKieron) May 20, 2020
While Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund haven’t completed the proposed £300 million takeover of Newcastle, they aren’t waiting for an official confirmation before making plans about the club’s future, and a Sporting Director remains top of their plans.
Offering Campos a huge offer means that they remain confident about owning the Magpies, and the takeover is expected to go through before the end of this month.