Leeds United chief Victor Orta may be in the running for the Newcastle United director of football job, Liam Kennedy has told GIVEMESPORT.
The lowdown
The Magpies' new owners are 'trying to lay the foundations for a better future', and appointing a Director of Football (DoF) is at the centre of that process.
Nick Hammond, who occupied a similar role at Celtic and Reading, has agreed to come on board as a temporary consultant while the club look to make a permanent appointment, and it was reported on Monday that they are due to hold talks with Brighton's Dan Ashworth 'in due course'.
Ashworth 'ranks highly' on Newcastle's list, but he is thought to be just one of a 'range of candidates' in contention for the DoF role.
The latest
Kennedy claimed to have heard that Leeds supremo Orta could indeed be a candidate for the DoF position at St James' Park.
When asked about such reports, he told GIVEMESPORT: "I would concur on the Orta one. I've also heard that myself."
The verdict
Would Orta be a good appointment for Newcastle if he were available? Well, his track record at Leeds United is mixed.
He has overseen deals for the likes of Raphinha and Illan Meslier, who are now 'worth vastly more' than what Leeds paid for them. On the other hand, the jury is still out on players like Rodrigo and Junior Firpo, who cost a combined £40.5m.
Away from transfers, he did seal the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa, who took Leeds back to the Premier League after 16 years away and subsequently led them to a ninth-place finish on their return to the top flight.
Could there be concerns about his temperament, though, in light of his heavily publicised confrontation with a Leeds supporter earlier this month? The clip of that incident, which was posted on Sky Sports News' Twitter channel, has been viewed more than 561,000 times.
Hiring Orta could come with risks over an imperfect transfer record and questions over his conduct given the aforementioned viral footage.
In other news, Noel Whelan reacts to this significant injury blow.