Newcastle not concerned about England’s interest in Eddie Howe.

Newcastle sports director Paul Mitchell believes that his club is not “scared” of Eddie Howe being handed the England post, but that the Magpies’ head coach remains an important element of the club’s evolving long-term strategy.

Lee Carsley will lead the national team for the first time on an interim basis against the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League on Saturday, but Howe, who is highly regarded by the Football Association, remains one of the favourites to be named Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor.

Mitchell, who has been developing his relationship with Howe since taking over at St James’ Park in early July, said: “I’ve never been concerned about interest in any of our staff members, particularly our head coach, and certainly from an outfit as large as the FA.

“We want Eddie Howe as our head coach for as long as possible. But we realize that we are on a journey, and we also recognise his quality and potential. I believe it is appreciation of his two-and-a-half years here and the work he done at Bournemouth.

Mitchell has moved rapidly to create substantial daily connection with Howe, who he says is still critical to identifying and chasing the club’s transfer objectives, despite the head coach lately indicating that he has become less involved in the operational side of the business.

“He is a senior member of our team and I want Eddie to be able to feel like he’s doing the best job he possibly can,” replied Mitchell.

We want Eddie Howe as our head coach for as long as possible. But we realize that we are on a journey, and we also recognise his quality and potential. I believe it is appreciation of his two-and-a-half years here and the work he done at Bournemouth.

“Part of that responsibility is to provide him with the best tools possible to do his job, which I believe I can do, but this is only the beginning of our relationship, and we need to strike a good balance between who does what.”

“Every guy we looked at (this summer) Ed wanted to try to sign or have a lengthy talk with. There was no player where we got to a point where he wasn’t involved in making the decision and saying, ‘That’s the man I want.'”

Mitchell went on to defend his club’s quiet close season in the transfer market, claiming that it reflects the end of wasteful spending as they adjust to the Premier League’s tough profit and sustainability criteria (PSR).

The Magpies have spent almost £400 million (€475 million) since being taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2021, but this summer saw only a handful of very low-key additions, as well as a high-profile failure to land Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Mitchell is sure that the team must create a more patient strategy, having faced the substantial risk of losing points before the late departures of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh.

“We got away with it (breaching PSR rules) by the skin of our teeth,” Mitchell admits. “We need to make sure we don’t go back there anytime soon, because we just survived.

“I don’t think anyone anticipated how PSR would affect people’s spending tactics or capacities. Unless any changes are made (to the rules), this will have to be a serious consideration in all of your decisions. Over time, we will need to respond tactically and strategically to this new situation that we face.

“As custodians of the club we can’t just keep spending and spending because at some point that won’t enable the club to continue to facilitate its goals and I don’t think any Newcastle fan wants to see the club in the place where others were last season with docked points and financial penalties.”

Mitchell met with Magpies chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan prior to Sunday’s win against Tottenham, which extended their best Premier League start in 13 years, and claims the Saudi executive fully understands the necessity for a more patient approach to attaining their long-term ambitions.

“He (Al-Rumayyan) is as ambitious and enthusiastic as ever,” Mitchell said. “He is extremely ambitious and expects us to perform at the highest level possible, not just in terms of money, but in all aspects of our work.

“I believe he can see the club’s growth, but he is astute enough to recognize that it has happened extremely swiftly in a short period of time. He understands that a higher-level structure and plan are required to go where we want to go. This is a longer-term investment than becoming number one tomorrow.