Shola Ameobi set for new role at Newcastle United - Report

There appears to be a bit of a shuffle brewing behind the scenes at Newcastle United, and it's one that will likely be welcomed by any fans paying attention to loans recently.

Shola Ameobi has been in charge of finding clubs for our younger players to go out to on loan. Let's not beat around the bush here; he's been pretty terrible at it.

It may be more down to bad luck than poor judgment, but that's us wanting to give Shola the benefit of the doubt.

In truth, sending Garang Kuol to a relegation-fighting Dutch team, Antonio Cordero to Belgium and then the Spanish second division hardly paints a great overall picture. His only real success was Yankuba Minteh's loan to Feyenoord. 

Indeed, Trevan Sanusi's move to Lorient looked good on paper, but he's returning to Newcastle having not made a single Ligue 1 appearance.

Shola Ameobi to leave post as loans manager

After almost seven years as loans manager, Shola Ameobi is being moved out of that position and into an ambassadorial role, according to Mark Douglas at the iPaper.

Newcastle see loans as a key function of building the success of the club, and as such, they need to ensure that they are maximising their opportunities with a big focus on recruiting young players to develop.

The iPaper's report states that the decision for Ameobi to move aside was mutual, but we suspect it was a fair bit more one-sided than the article suggests.

Still, it's said Shola remains 'highly rated' behind the scenes, but a mix-up was needed as the club oversees a series of recruitment changes behind the scenes.

This move was definitely needed

The Shola switch comes alongside the news that Scott Mitchell and James Fowler are set to join the recruitment team at Academy level. There are a lot of changes going on, but this one feels wholly needed.

Ross Wilson will now review the department before making a new appointment, but hopefully, he'll find someone with a solid track record to replace the former Toon striker.

Newcastle now has an array of talented youngsters who could benefit from a suitable loan next season, so it's crucial the club appoints someone capable of finding the right moves first time.