One of Newcastle United’s most significant summer arrivals pitched up with relatively little fanfare and none of the drama of the Alexander Isak saga.

The appointment of Sudarshan Gopaladesikan – known to everyone as “Suds” – as the club’s first technical director in July is a move that is freighted with importance.

As well as being an exciting hire – “elite and super smart” is how one insider describes a man who cut his teeth as a program manager at Microsoft before impressing in spells at Benfica and Atalanta – it is a clear signpost of the direction Newcastle’s owners PIF want the club to go in.

“One thing the ownership are very clear on is they want objective measurements and thinking around decision-making at the club,” a source tells The i Paper .

“They are massive advocates of

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