Did Newcastle United fail to do their due diligence on £55m signing Sandro Tonali, who has been banned this season for breaching betting rules? We asked former Scotland Yard Detective Neil Whitbread, who now helps clubs with intelligence on potential signings.

JAMES VAUGHAN has been promoted to the new role of Head of Academy Recruitment and Player Pathways at Everton. The 35-year-old, who made 60 appearances for the club as a player, rejoined the Blues as Loans Pathway Manager in September 2022.

SAM JEWELL has accepted a senior recruitment role at Chelsea and been placed on gardening leave by Brighton. Jewell, who is the son of former Wigan manager Paul Jewell, is expected to start work with Chelsea in November.

IPSWICH TOWN Head of Recruitment Sam Williams is leaving the club after two years to return to Manchester United.

MAX HAHN has joined West Ham United as their new Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis, as Technical Director Tim Steidten makes his mark behind the scenes.

JORDAN MILES has left Aberdeen after seven months to become the new Head of Recruitment at Leeds United.

NEGOTIATIONS MANAGER Sam Barnett has left Manchester United after seven years.

HELENA COSTA, English football’s first and only female Head of Recruitment, has left Watford after less than a year.

UNION SAINT-GILLOISE are one of the smartest teams in Europe and their culture is a big reason why. Sporting Director Chris O'Loughlin tells TGG how the club scout for character.

AHEAD of the January transfer window, Brentford Technical Director Lee Dykes outlines the seven stages of the club's recruitment process.

MATTHEW LEWIS has been appointed Positional Scouting Lead by Norwich City as they continue to build out the department.

CHELSEA have hired Jeremy Leyde from West Brom to head up their new position-specific scouting department.

LUKE FEDORENKO has been promoted to Head of Academy Recruitment as part of a restructure at Manchester United.

NEWCASTLE UNITED have completed their new Academy Recruitment department following a major overhaul.

NEWCASTLE UNITED have completed their new position-specific scouting team with a number of new hires. As TGG reported in January, the Magpies have moved to the position-specific model that Technical Director Dan Ashworth implemented when he was at Brighton.

NEWCASTLE UNITED have hired Claire Burrows from Leicester City as their Academy recruitment revamp takes shape. Technical Director Dan Ashworth has made improving the club’s Academy productivity a key focus of his first year with the Magpies.

SAM STANTON is being promoted to replace Tom Stockwell as Head of Scouting Operations at Southampton. Stockwell is leaving the club after almost 12 years to join Nottingham Forest.

LYNDON TOMLINSON is leaving his role as Head of National Recruitment for the 12s to 16s at Leeds United to join the investment group FMCF.

NEWCASTLE UNITED have appointed Norwich City’s Senior First Team Performance Analyst Josh Appleyard as a Positional Analyst as they continue to upgrade their scouting and recruitment department.

NEWCASTLE UNITED have hired Arsenal’s Edward Black as their new Academy Lead Scout. Technical Director Dan Ashworth is intent on improving the Academy’s productivity and is currently leading an overhaul of their youth scouting and recruitment.

NEWCASTLE UNITED have appointed Manchester City’s Paul McLaren as their Head of National Youth Scouting for the 13s to 18s.

GUS WILLIAMS is stepping down as Blackburn Rovers’ Head of Recruitment after six months to return to the Football Association of Wales (FAW).

SAM JEWELL has been appointed Head of Recruitment at Brighton following Paul Winstanley’s move to Chelsea.

LEE SARGESON has left Brighton after almost six years to become Manager of Scouting Operations at Everton.

BIRMINGHAM CITY have plugged gaps in their backroom team by appointing Frank McParland as Head of Recruitment and Joe Carnall as Chief Scout.

BLACKBURN ROVERS have unveiled their new-look recruitment team after making three appointments in recent months.

DEAN AUSTIN has been appointed Head of Recruitment at Coventry City, replacing Chris Badlan, who was named Sporting Director at Blackpool last month.

PAUL WINSTANLEY has left Brighton after eight years to become Director of Global Talent and Transfers at Chelsea. The Blues have revamped their recruitment department following the takeover by Chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali in May.

CHELSEA’S Head of International Scouts, Scott McLachlan, has left the club after 11 years.

GUS WILLIAMS has been appointed as Blackburn Rovers’ new Head of Recruitment after 22 years with the Football Association of Wales.

JOE SHIELDS has left Manchester City after nine years to become Head of Senior Recruitment at Southampton.

FORMER Tottenham Head of Recruitment Brian Carey has joined Reading in the same role.

TOTTENHAM Head of Recruitment Brian Carey has left the club after six years. Carey initially joined Spurs as Senior Scout for the North West of England, before his role was expanded to Europe and then Head of Recruitment.

NEIL WHITBREAD is a former Scotland Yard Detective who is now helping football clubs do due diligence on potential signings with security and investigations solutions consultancy Silverseal.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S two most senior scouts, Jim Lawlor and Marcel Bout, have left the club after a combined 24 years.

ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta has paid tribute to Steve Rowley and his players will wear black armbands in memory of the club's former Chief Scout during tonight’s Premier League game against Chelsea.

PETE BULMER has left Blackburn Rovers after two-and-a-half years to become Senior Scouting Manager responsible for centre backs at Brighton.

NICK HAMMOND has explained his role as a January transfer advisor for Newcastle United and said it could be the hardest window that the club’s new ownership face.

IPSWICH TOWN have hired Sam Williams from Manchester United to become their new Head Recruitment.

LEEDS UNITED Director of Football Victor Orta has made a passionate defence of the club’s policy of operating with a slimmed-down squad and suggested it will continue in future.