Mitchell announced his intention to leave his role at the head of the Magpies’ executive team shortly after the end of last season, and formally left his position at the end of last month.
He is yet to be replaced, with Newcastle’s ownership group also searching for a new chief executive to replace Darren Eales, who revealed his intention to stand down because of health issues in the spring.
Newcastle have experienced a difficult summer on the recruitment front, with moves for Dean Huijsen, Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro all failing to result in a successful deal. The Magpies are also reportedly ready to step away from a long-pursuit of Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford.
Howe described Newcastle’s transfer dealing as “frustrating” when he spoke in the wake of his side’s friendly defeat at Celtic on Saturday afternoon, and concedes Mitchell’s departure halfway through the transfer window was far from ideal.
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The head coach claims he did not know anything about Mitchell’s plans before they were revealed publicly, with the pair having successfully repaired the fractures in their relationship that were apparent at the start of last summer.
“My phone exploded [when the news of Mitchell’s departure broke],” said Howe, who will head to the Far East with Newcastle’s first-team squad this week ahead of friendlies in Singapore and South Korea. “I was enjoying the second day of my holiday, and that quickly went sour. Suddenly, I was like, ‘Oh’.
“It was the second day, and I didn’t know. It was a complete surprise to me, and a big disappointment because we had stability. We were planning the summer ahead, and then that’s a big upheaval that we’ve been in before with Dan Ashworth leaving.
“I’ve experienced it before, and I know the cost that that departure comes with. It wasn’t a good couple of days on holiday.”
Without a sporting director to lead the signing and selling of players, Howe has had to combine his coaching duties with a major role in the recruitment process.
Working alongside head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, and his nephew, Andy, who is Newcastle’s assistant head of first-team recruitment, the Newcastle boss has had to deal with major demands on his time and attention. As a result, he concedes it has been a “challenging” summer.
“It’s been a busier summer in that respect than I wanted,” admitted Howe. “With Paul leaving, I think that naturally left a hole in terms of that role. Someone in that role fields a lot and protects the manager from a lot of things.
“Of course, his departure left that open for me to do some things that I wouldn’t normally have done.
“The summer certainly wasn’t a relaxing one for me, to switch off and see what happens. It was constantly on, and constantly trying to help in terms of off-the-field and trying to make sure we’re ready for the start of the new season.
“It’s been a challenging summer in that respect, but the most important thing is how the squad looks going into the last week of pre-season, before the start of the season. We need to make sure we’re strong enough for a long campaign ahead.”