Newcastle United's potential appointment of Unai Emery has been described as 'curious' by journalist James Benge.

The lowdown

The Spaniard seems close to taking over at Newcastle, with Liam Kennedy reporting on Tuesday morning that the Magpies hope to have him installed before their trip to Brighton this weekend. It is set to be the 49-year-old's second stint in English football after a mixed spell at Arsenal.

Emery led the Gunners on a 22-game unbeaten run between August and December 2019, featuring 17 wins, but he also suffered a heavy defeat against Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final and was sacked six months later following a seven-game winless stretch.

The latest

In a tweet, CBS Sports journalist Benge outlined: "Obviously Newcastle need a coach now but if it's Unai Emery it's curious bringing him in without a real structure in place. At Arsenal he really did not like being the voice of matters beyond the football pitch. At Newcastle there's no one else to lead on that."

As a reporter who has specialised in Arsenal coverage, Benge is well placed to speak on Emery's in-house behaviours during his time in charge at the Emirates Stadium.

The verdict

Based on what Benge is saying, Emery may seek assurances about being able to focus solely on on-field matters before he signs on the dotted line at St James' Park. If those don't materialise, there could be tension behind the scenes.

It should be said, though, that Newcastle are trying to appoint a sporting director to work in tandem with their new coach and take charge of off-field dealings.

It's important that the Magpies get that structure in place well before the January transfer window, when their recruitment could define their season. For that reason, a sporting director could follow Emery through the door within weeks.

In other news, could Newcastle sign this Champions League midfielder in January?