Mitchell openly questioned Newcastle's recruitment processes in the past and pondered whether they were “fit for purpose” to which Howe responded that he was “very proud of the body of work that we did” at the club.
Now, speaking to Up Front, Howe has emphasized the importance of building a relationship to help the club grow despite media reports stating the pair are in constant battle behind the scenes.
“It's got to be teamwork, it's got to be collaboration, and I know Paul feels the same way. There was a lot of noise in the summer and I understand it's the media's job to blow everything up to make stories. The reality is, internally, it wasn't like that. We're forming a new relationship.
"I'm not going to shy away from the fact that I will protect or stand up for our transfer business. I think it's been really good. Excellent recruitment. I love the players we got.
"It's really difficult for me to comment on what Paul meant - only he can articulate that to you - but the most important thing is how we work going forward and the decisions we make in the future."
- Get breaking football news faster with the new Tribal Football app! Download now on iOS and Android to stay ahead of all the latest transfers and football updates. Download now: App Store, Google Play