Newcastle are 'close to appointing former Man United chief scout Marcel Bout'

Newcastle are on the brink of appointing former Manchester United chief scout Marcel Bout, according to reports.

The Magpies, who have improved significantly on the pitch since their takeover by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund in 2021, are plotting to fork out on new stars in the January transfer window in an effort to bolster Eddie Howe's squad.

Newcastle are currently suffering from a sizeable injury crisis with several first team stars such as Sven Botman, Alexander Isak and Dan Burn enduring frustrating spells on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, summer signing Sandro Tonali has been banned until the end of the season for breaching football's betting rules.

Although Newcastle's Saudi owners have shown an element of restraint in the transfer market since taking over, the St James' Park chiefs may feel obliged to splash out on new superstars in an effort to improve Howe's depleted squad.

According to Dutch outlet AD Sportwereld, Bout is on the cusp of signing a deal with the Magpies which would see him become the club's chief scout.

The Dutchman, 60, has previously worked for Manchester United, Bayern Munich and the Netherlands national football team, having long held a particularly close relationship with ex-Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal.

Bout initially joined Van Gaal's United in the summer of 2014, specialising in opposition scouting, before becoming the club's chief global scot between October 2016 and April 2022.

As chief scout at Newcastle, he will be tasked with identifying the best talent on the planet between the ages of 16 and 23, the Dutch newspaper has claimed. Bout is set to work exclusively for the first team, scouting players who would only be considered within Howe's senior squad.

While Newcastle have the funds to cause a major stir in the transfer market, the club have so far been shrewd with their recruitment, luring first team players such as Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Pope in a measured manner.

Confirming he and Newcastle had been in talks, Bout admitted this judicious strategy over transfers 'appeals' to him.

'I have recently come into contact with Newcastle,' he confirmed to the Dutch outlet.

'The steady expansion of the club appeals to me. I’m also happy to be back in England and at Champions League level.'

Newcastle suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday and now face an uphill battle in their group with matches against Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan to come.