Earlier this week it was revealed that Newcastle United head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, is leaving St James’ Park.
This story broken by the very reliable David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The man from The Athletic reporting that: ‘ Steve Nickson has informed Newcastle of his intention to depart and, while the exact timings of his St James’ Park exit remain unclear, all parties are comfortable with the situation.’
Steve Nickson has been at St James’ Park for 15 years and joined United from Blackburn Rovers.
David Ornstein going on to say: ‘Steve Nickson has been Newcastle’s head of recruitment since 2017, where he has been responsible for leading the club’s scouting operation and he previously worked as head of youth recruitment…He led the signings of Sven Botman and Joelinton, and has driven the purchase of young prospects, including Antonio Cordero and Vakhtang Salia.’
The Athletic and other media reporting that Steve Nickson was expected to join West Ham United.
However, now there has been a media update suggesting that this might not be the case.
Craig Hope of The Mail has now revealed that Steve Nickson going to West Ham is not a done deal.
The man from The Mail saying that Wrexham are also interested and indeed, that is where Steve Nickson could very well end up.
I don’t know about anybody else but the fact West Ham and Wrexham will be in the same division next season all feels a bit strange. However, reality is that Wrexham finished seventh in the Championship last season and just missed out on the play-offs. Who is to say they won’t finish above the Hammers in 2026/27?
Anyway, good luck to Steve Nickson wherever he ends up, if it means more responsibility/power and more money.
In The Athletic breaking news piece earlier this week, it also included Chris Waugh (who covers Newcastle United for The Athletic) giving his thoughts on what potential impact it will have on NUFC.
Chris Waugh declaring: ‘Steve Nickson is a seasoned and highly respected operator and his ability to spot young talent is well regarded, so this will come as a blow to Newcastle. If Nickson is to serve a period of notice, however, that will offer Newcastle the opportunity to succession plan. What’s more, the summer strategy is already in place, with targets identified, so the short-term effect should be minimal.’
With Ross Wilson coming in as Sporting Director, I think it was inevitable we were going to see some changes on the recruitment side of things. No doubt Steve Nickson is ambitious, the same as everybody else, so if he gets offered a more senior role at another club (and almost certainly more money) then no surprise if he might be interested.
A case as well I think of a situation where something can be at the same time a negative for Newcastle United BUT not the end of the world either. As in, I am sure the club would rather Steve Nickson had kept on working in his role at Newcastle United, but it is also not a change that will have grave consequences for NUFC.
If indeed he is moving on to West Ham, or Wrexham (or another club), good luck to Steve Nickson.