Controversial Joe Kinnear quits Newcastle United

Newcastle United’s controversial director of football Joe Kinnear has quit seven months into a three-year deal after his second spell at the Premier League club in which they made no permanent signings for the first-team squad.

Kinnear, 67, had come under fire after Newcastle, who were thrashed 3-0 at home by local rivals Sunderland in the league on Saturday, did not buy any new players in the January transfer window and lost playmaker Yohan Cabaye to Paris St Germain.

“Newcastle United can confirm that Joe Kinnear has this evening resigned from his position as director of football with immediate effect,” the northeast club said in a statement on their website.

Kinnear was responsible for attracting talent to the club but strikers Luuk de Jong and Loic Remy, on loan from Borussia Moenchengladbach and Queens Park Rangers respectively, were the only players added to the first-team squad under his watch.

Newcastle, who lie mid-table in the league, failed to sign Clement Grenier from Olympique Lyon as a replacement for Cabaye, who left for a fee that British media said could reach 25 million euros (HK$250 million).

After the Sunderland defeat, manager Alan Pardew said: “If I was in charge, solely, of transfers, things might be different, but I’m not. I think I’ve made my opinions very clear this week and all the rest of it is confidential.”