Newcastle United are braced for the departure of Steve Nickson after 15 years on Tyneside, as the talent spotter has told Toon chiefs he wants to leave.
As reported on Chronicle Live, Nickson is on West Ham's wish-list, with a move to the London Stadium still to be confirmed. However, it is understood that Nickson will leave Newcastle this summer and is currently holding amicable talks with the former Blackburn Rovers scout.
Nickson is believed to be on the Hammers' radar after their head of recruitment, Max Hahn, departed following relegation last season. It is said that Hahn's replacement will have a bigger remit and presence, and Nickson, who holds a sporting director qualification, would get more responsibility as the crisis-hit club look to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt.
Nickson's Rise at Newcastle
Nickson has held the role of head of recruitment at Newcastle since 2017, when he was promoted by Rafa Benitez. The former Blackburn scout joined the club as an Academy talent spotter and worked his way to the frontline in the recruitment department. His initial brief was to find players with sell-on potential between the ages of 17 and 21.
Nickson has been working with Andy Howe in the scouting department for the last few years, as well as former transfer chiefs Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell.
Key Signings and Praise
Nickson was singled out for praise by co-owner Amanda Staveley during her time as director at St James' Park. Speaking then, the Ripon financier said: 'Fortunately, we have an amazing head of recruitment in Steve Nickson, who has been with the club for a long time and has a really deep knowledge of the player markets. So we were able to quickly put together a transfer committee.'
Nickson was the key man in signings such as the £40 million star Joelinton and the bargain £33.3 million signing of Bruno Guimaraes. Even when working with a limited budget under Mike Ashley, he delivered by sourcing talent such as Ayoze Perez from Tenerife for just £1.5 million before he was sold to Leicester City for £30 million.
This wouldn't be the first attempted swoop for a member of Newcastle's backroom team after Manchester United tried to nab Paul Midgley last winter. However, this time there will be no 11th-hour talks to retain the services of one of the most important figures in recent club history.
