Former Chelsea scout Alessandro Pizzoli admits to having a job offer from Newcastle United.

Pizzoli, who is now 53 and has worked at many clubs, was not enthralled by their philosophy.

The veteran was speaking at a conference in Palermo, where he outlined his experiences at Stamford Bridge.

“At Chelsea, I found a philosophy that was similar to ours, all about going to watch the players," he told the Palermo Football Conference.

"They look at statistics there, but not exclusively those.

"I was contacted by Newcastle, but they told me that they'd look at the data and tell me which players to go and see. I've been in this profession for 30 years, I know how to choose players.

“Besides, there is also a context to it, tactical issues that need to be addressed. There is no guarantee that a player who does well in Italy can also flourish in England, or vice versa."