Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Tomas Amaral as their new head of first-team recruitment. The 35-year-old Portuguese executive has extensive experience in European football, having most recently served as Spartak Moscow’s sporting director. Amaral has also held scouting positions at Benfica, Real Valladolid, SD Eibar and Granada, developing a network of contacts across several European leagues. His appointment follows the departure of long-serving recruitment chief Steve Nickson, who joined Wrexham, and senior football executive Andy Howe. Newcastle have revised their recruitment structure, with Amaral assuming responsibility specifically for identifying and assessing players for the senior squad. The change represents a departure from the previous arrangement, under which recruitment responsibilities covered a broader range of age groups. Paul Midgley, formerly the club’s head of youth recruitment, will now serve as head of global talent development. Midgley will report directly to Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson, who is overseeing the restructuring of the club’s football department. The revised structure is intended to establish clearer responsibilities between senior recruitment and the development of emerging talent. Wilson welcomed Amaral’s arrival, describing the appointment as an important development in Newcastle’s long-term planning. The sporting director highlighted Amaral’s reputation for identifying talent, his understanding of European transfer markets and his established relationships within the game. Wilson believes the Portuguese executive has the expertise to support Newcastle’s ambitions as the club develops its recruitment operations. Amaral expressed his enthusiasm about joining Newcastle and acknowledged the expectations surrounding the club. “It is with great pride and a strong sense of responsibility that I join Newcastle United, a historic club with passionate supporters who have high expectations and ambitions,” he said. Amaral’s arrival comes as Newcastle seek greater consistency in their transfer strategy after several significant behind-the-scenes changes. The club have invested heavily in strengthening their squad in recent seasons, increasing the importance of effective scouting and recruitment decisions. His immediate responsibilities will centre on identifying players who can improve the first team while supporting Newcastle’s longer-term sporting objectives. The 2026/27 Premier League season has already delivered plenty of talking points, and the... The 2027 winter transfer window will give several Premier League clubs the chance to... The 2026/27 Premier League season continues apace this weekend with an enticing line-up of... Global accounting company Deloitte reportedly helped to falsify documents to help former Chelsea owner... The 2026/27 Premier League season resumes this weekend with an enthralling line-up of Matchday... Lewis Hall has revealed that he is using the disappointment of missing the World... The Premier League gravy train showed no sign of slowing down this summer, with... The draw for the fourth round of the Carabao Cup has produced some intriguing...