Manh Tung, Breaking Media.

Ciaran Morrison

Mon 18 May 2026 8:00, UK

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Newcastle United will appoint James Fowler as their new Scouting Operations Manager ahead of an announcement over their training ground.

That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking to Football Insider, who expects Newcastle to announce plans for a new training “fairly soon.”

Fowler will leave his position as Head of Academy Scouting at Rangers in order to move to Tyneside, and be responsible for Newcastle’s European scouting operation.

The club will hope that Fowler can bring some young European talent to the club’s academy, before a potential rise into the first team.

Newcastle are set to rebuild their squad this summer following an unsuccessful season on the pitch, with Eddie Howe’s side having to settle for a mid-table Premier League finish.

Newcastle scouting plans ‘will have been discussed with the PIF’

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Fowler’s appointment is connected to the news over Newcastle’s training ground.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Fowler will have the facilities to boost the club’s pool of young talent.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “This is all in connection with the new training ground that Newcastle are supposed to be announcing fairly soon.

“If it’s as big a project as I’ve seen the drawings for, then they’re going to need two or three James Fowler’s to fill it with young talent to really make that factory work.

“They will have a chance to do that and that would be great for them because they’ll then, finally, have the facilities to actually do that. So James is going to have his hands full.

“But as I say, it’s going to be a case of really identifying right from the top all the way through how Newcastle are going to do this. I’m sure that will have been discussed with the PIF when they were there recently.”

Newcastle to hold talks with star over new deal

Lewis Miley is a product of the Newcastle academy, and the 20-year-old has proven that there is a pathway into the first team.

The midfielder has started 15 Premier League games for the Magpies this campaign, and could have a bigger role to play next season if Sandro Tonali leaves the club this summer.

Despite his current deal not expiring until 2029, sources have told Football Insider that Newcastle are keen to reward Miley with a new contract.

Without European football next season, there is expected to be interest in Miley this summer from Premier League rivals.