Newcastle United have appointed Tomas Amaral as their new head of first team recruitment. This follows a move to bring in a scout with a Benfica background, which was responsible for one of the most lucrative transfers in recent years.
The 35-year-old takes over from Steve Nickson, who has left St James’ Park after 15 years to become sporting director at Championship side Wrexham.
Amaral will work with Newcastle’s sporting director Ross Wilson and other recruitment staff to identify first-team talent. He will also help develop the club’s scouting network in key areas.
Tomas Amaral’s career: from Benfica to Spartak Moscow
Amaral’s most recent job was at Russian club Spartak Moscow, where he worked as sporting director in 2024. Before that he spent four and a half years at Benfica as a senior scout. He helped to unearth players who went on to become major names in European football. His earlier career was spent in Spain as a first-team scout, with spells at Real Valladolid, SD Eibar and Granada CF.
The main headline on Amaral’s CV is the Enzo Fernandez transfer. He was involved in Benfica’s recruitment team, who signed the midfielder from River Plate for £8m in 2022. 5 months later, in January 2023, he moved to Chelsea for £107m after playing a key role in Argentina winning the World Cup.
This meant Benfica made a profit of around £99 million. This summer, he moved to Manchester City for £125 million, becoming the most expensive midfielder of all time and the first player to have 2 transfers for over £100 million. (Shields Gazette)
Amaral was also at Benfica when the club signed Darwin Nunez from Almeria for £21m in 2020 and sold him to Liverpool two years later for £62m. Nunez often struggled for consistency at Anfield. However, he scored twice off the bench in a 2-1 Liverpool win at St James’ Park in August 2023. Something Newcastle supporters will remember.
Why Tomas Amaral fits Ross Wilson’s player trading strategy
The move fits with the approach set out by Wilson. The sporting director said last month that clubs in the Premier League will have to sell players to be successful. “If you don’t, you’re going to get stuck,” he said. With increasing revenues at Newcastle, the club has to be careful to buy and sell.
Amaral has a great history in picking up players who have sold for large fees. It is hoped that his connections and talent spotting skills will allow Newcastle to have a good pipeline in finding their next crop of signings. This will ensure that the club can build a squad with long term value.
This appointment will mark a new era for Newcastle as Nickson departs. Tomas Amaral will now be responsible for ensuring the club has a strong pipeline of recruitment under Wilson.
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