Newcastle appoint Kaustubh Deshpande as club shift transfer approach - Report

Newcastle United continue to add to its team behind the scenes as they pursue the dream of becoming a top player by 2030.

David Hopkinson outlined the club's ambition to be competing for titles by 2030 in an interview with talkSPORT earlier this year.

It was a highly ambitious statement, and one that has been met with a healthy dose of scepticism outside of the Newcastle United boardroom walls.

After this season, the club feels like it's moving backwards if anything. The lack of progress on the stadium decision and how long the new training ground is taking to get moving all feels like 2030 was too bold an ambition.

Newcastle recruit AI specialist to form a new data department

However, there is plenty moving in the right direction. A possible new stadium and training ground are on the horizon, alongside infrastructure improvements and a squad overhaul this summer, and Mark Douglas at the iPaper reports that the club has made another key appointment.

Kaustubh Deshpande, a 26-year-old AI specialist, has joined from top US tech firm Scale AI. Dephpande started work at the club’s Benton training base last week to set up a new data department. He is expected to be joined by another data specialist in the summer as part of a new data-driven vision for the club.

The iPaper states that club sources have stressed that the appointments should be viewed as part of a plan to “build foundations” around the use of data at Newcastle rather than a short-term fix ahead of the next summer transfer window.

Deshpande's new data department will allow Newcastle to make better judgments on potential signings, and taking advantage of AI will allow the club to accurately predict performance, injury risk or tactical fit.

It's all about that data

It's another positive move by the club, but it sounds like we shouldn't expect immediate results, especially with it being a brand-new department.

Football has moved more into the data side of things over the years, as we can see by the sheer number of stats available to fans. We only get a snippet of what those inside the game get to see.

Understanding that data and putting it to the best possible use takes a unique skillset, and it sounds like the Magpies have bagged one of the hottest talents out there to do just that.

We could have done with having this up and running last year, for sure. Let's hope it works.