Paul Mitchell has endured a very tough start to his tenure as Newcastle United sporting director.

He was announced as Dan Ashworth's replacement on July 4th, arriving out of the blue to become the new leader of the Newcastle United project.

With an excellent reputation with regards to recruitment, there was huge excitement when Paul Mitchell joined the club. And that made what ended up happening even more disappointing.

Newcastle failed to make any major signings, which did not reflect well on Mitchell.

In the aftermath, Mitchell attempted to divert the blame away from himself, which resulted in a sense of tension behind the scenes at St James' Park.

But now Mitchell and Eddie Howe are aligned, as the former Monaco chief aims to get back on track after a tough start to life at Newcastle United.

The January transfer window is going to be very important for Newcastle after what happened in the summer. With that in mind, here are six decisions that Mitchell must make ahead of the January transfer window.

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While Newcastle still need a right-sided centre-back, it might not necessarily be the priority come January.

By then, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles could be back from injury, which will mean Eddie Howe has more depth.

That could allow Newcastle to spend their transfer budget elsewhere, with a right winger also required.

Between now and January 1st, Mitchell needs to figure out exactly what type of player he is going to try and sign.

Figure out how much Marc Guehi is worth Whether a centre-back is or is not the top target, there will likely still be interest in Marc Guehi.

It has been reported that Newcastle will make a fresh move for Guehi, whose value could have decreased if he continues to hold off on signing a new contract with Crystal Palace.

With that in mind, Mitchell must decide how much Guehi is worth now. While Newcastle offered PS70million in the summer, there is surely no way they will offer as big a fee.

Alternatively, Crystal Palace wanted PS75million for Guehi in the summer, and it will be interesting to see what kind of fee they command at the beginning of 2025.

Identify a potential replacement for Kieran Trippier Despite wanting to go, Kieran Trippier is not leaving Newcastle United.

Mitchell agrees with Howe that Trippier has to stay, with a move to Turkey no longer on the cards.

Trippier's future is on hold until January, and it remains to be seen if the 33-year-old will still be eager to join a new club.

That is still a possibility, so Mitchell must identify a potential Trippier replacement between now and January so that Newcastle are prepared in case the veteran defender once again asks to leave.

Address the Newcastle players whose contract expires in 2025 Once January arrives, Newcastle will have multiple players in the final six months of their contracts who will be free to talk to clubs about a free transfer.

The likes of Sean Longstaff, Callum Wilson, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn are all in the final year of their current deals, and it would be negligent of Newcastle to let any of them leave for free.

Mitchell needs to decide what is next for those players, and begin talks over potential extensions.

Sort out new contracts for Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon This is less pivotal, as there is not necessarily a need for either to be done before the January transfer window opens.

However, tying Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon down to new deals in the near future would be a real statement of intent for Mitchell. And it would go a long way towards salvaging his reputation after the disappointing summer window.

It has been reported that Newcastle could include a release clause in Isak's new deal, and that Gordon would be starting talks with the club over a new deal during the summer after interest from Liverpool.

Arrange a loan move for Garang Kuol It was a major surprise to see Garang Kuol remain on Tyneside over the summer. He is not ready for first-team football, and could really benefit from another loan move.

But picking the right club is vital, especially after what happened at Hearts and Volendam. Kuol needs the right environment to continue his development, otherwise it is going to be extremely difficult for him to achieve his potential as a Newcastle United player.

When January arrives, there needs to be a plan in place for Kuol. Mitchell must work with loan coordinator Shola Ameobi to decide what is best for the 19-year-old, as his career is currently stalling.