Newcastle United set to lose transfer chief after 15 years in major coup for Championship club
Steve Nickson joined Newcastle United in 2011 as the head of youth recruitment.
Wrexham are set to appoint Steve Nickson as their new sporting director at the end of the transfer window.
News broke on June 15 - the day the transfer window officially opened - that the 61-year-old would leave Newcastle United. Nickson arrived from Blackburn Rovers in 2011, initially in charge of youth recruitment.
A promotion to his current role followed in 2017, where he worked closely with Rafa Benitez on transfer strategy. Following the Saudi-backed takeover, Nickson received praise for identifying players to take Newcastle to the next level.
A trip to Brazil in 2022 helped secure Bruno Guimaraes - arguably the defining arrival of the last four-and-a-half years at St James’ Park. The likes of Sven Botman, Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali also arrived during this timeframe.
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Wrexham to appoint Steve Nickson
Wrexham are now set to gain one of Newcastle’s unsung heroes - a major coup for the Championship club. It is understood that the Red Dragons will appoint Nickson as sporting director in September.
West Ham United expressed interest in Nickson - an offer he declined. Wrexham would mark an ambitious move for the recruitment chief as they aim for Premier League promotion after narrowly missing out on a play-off spot last season.
Newcastle United shake-up
As for Newcastle, they are keen to downplay the impact of Nickson’s departure. Ross Wilson has taken on the transfer reins, with Andy Howe playing a supporting role following his switch to senior football executive.
David Hopkinson and Wilson were keen to smooth out the transfer hierarchy after last year’s chaos. Darren Eales’ absence due to illness and Paul Mitchell departing as sporting director created a convoluted dynamic at St James’ Park - with the result being £250million spent for little return.
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