Newcastle United are interested in appointing 45-year-old Benfica chief Rui Pedro Braz as their new sporting director.
According to a report by The Times, Newcastle United have identified Rui Pedro Braz as a replacement for Dan Ashworth. The Magpies are on the lookout for a new sporting director and the Benfica chief is one of the names on their radar.
Dan Ashworth leaving
Ashworth has done wonders for the Magpies over the past few seasons. He has helped them sign some top talents who are currently an integral part of their first team. The 53-year-old was one of the major appointments made by the PIF after they completed their takeover.
While they wanted him to carry on at the club, he has decided to join rivals Manchester United. Ashworth has informed the club that he has an agreement in place with the Red Devils and that is why, the Magpies have placed him on a gardening leave.
The move is not yet official as the clubs are still holding talks over a potential compensation. But, it will happen eventually, as a result, Newcastle are on the lookout for a new sporting director. There are numerous candidates on their radar and Rui Pedro Braz is one of them.
Rui Pedro Braz’s time at Benfica
The 45-year-old has been at Benfica since 2021. He was working with the television company TVI before joining the Portuguese club as their general director. He worked his way up and in a year, Braz was promoted to the role of sporting director by club president Rui Costa.
Since taking charge as the sporting director, he has done wonders for them. In his very first season, he helped them reclaim the league title and even secured more than £200 million in transfer fees. Braz played a key role in the big-money departures of Darwin Núñez and Enzo Fernández.
Braz interviewed for the sporting director role
His work has caught the attention of the Magpies and the 45-year-old is quite high on the list of potential replacements. The executive search company Odgers Berndtson who Newcastle have hired to bring in an elite replacement, highly rate the Benfica chief.
They feel he could do a great job for the PIF-owned club who are looking to build a team that can compete with the very best and also build a stable base. Braz was in London during the international break, the executive search company interviewed him and it will be interesting to see if they do go hard to appoint him with the summer fast approaching.
