Former Newcastle United head of recruitment Steve Nickson has revealed details of his transfer work during his time at St James' Park, including the club's data-driven approach and his role in signing players such as Alexander Isak and Yankuba Minteh. Nickson left Newcastle in the summer and served a period of garden leave before joining Wrexham, with his exit coinciding with the arrival of sporting director Ross Wilson in 2025.
Data-driven vs data-informed scouting
Nickson spoke well of his time at Newcastle but hinted at why there may have been a difference of opinion towards the end of his time on Tyneside, when comparing scouting in terms of being "data driven" or "data informed". Nickson was renowned for travelling to see players in action and getting to know the lifestyle of potential signings.
The former Blackburn scout did not participate in any media interviews during 15 years at Newcastle, leaving the limelight to the likes of Eddie Howe, Dan Ashworth, Paul Mitchell or, in his final few months at the club, ex-Nottingham Forest supremo Wilson.
De facto sporting director role
Nickson told That Wrexham Podcast: "When certain sporting directors left Newcastle, I was de facto sporting director. But different sporting directors, like Dan Ashworth, he let me get on with everything in terms of doing deals with agents, closing deals with players. That bit I'd done for five years."
He added: "At Newcastle I had 114 staff, scouts and analysts, data people from Academy to first-team."
Nickson also offered insight on his work and judgement with Newcastle leaning heavily into data-driven recruitment missions during a fragmented period in which Ashworth, Mitchell and, at times, transfer hunts ended up with then head coach Howe and nephew Andy Howe having a say in certain deals.
Scouts vs analysts
Nickson, who was credited with signing Alexander Isak, Yankuba Minteh, Allan Saint-Maximin, Joelinton and Ayoze Perez, who all left for big fees, said: "We have scouts to watch and then you have the analysts, so we have a bit of a battle, healthy competition. We need data to point us in the right direction. That is due diligence. You drill down context, the scout might be right, the data won't tell you if a player shanks a pass out, it was the most important pass to get him credit, but the scout will."
Discussing his move to ambitious Championship outfit Wrexham, Nickson said: "I had opportunities to go elsewhere, but I looked at where this place could go, it wasn't just words. But they understand that the football project will take time. I can't wait; I want to put something in place that is world-class. If we can build things, find opportunities others can't, that's where we want to go."
Geographic challenges and player signings
Opening up on his time at Newcastle, Nickson said that sometimes the club's geographic position put it at a disadvantage. He said: "You had challenges at Newcastle, because the first thing a player would ask is: 'Is it close to London?' Foreign players wouldn't know where Newcastle is."
Nickson's attention to detail and commitment to fly out to hunt players down, with the ex-scout admitting he once spent 13 days in Germany trying to sign an unnamed star for Newcastle, only to see him go back on his word and opt against joining the Magpies, shines through in an interview with ex-Toon youngster Ben Tozer and goalkeeper Ben Foster.
Reflecting on his time with French star Allan Saint-Maximin, who Newcastle signed from Nice in 2019, Nickson said: "Allan used to get people off their seats and I used to get on with him so well. I used to go and see him every 10 days, Steve Bruce would send me around. He still texts me now and says thanks, after Lens won the French Cup."
Nickson was also at the centre of the deal that saw the club pay £63m to Real Sociedad and said: "It is about mentality. When we signed Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad, I knew people inside and they called him Mr Ice. Because to him scoring goals was just no problem to him, it's fine, he was really cool. Then there's Joelinton, if he's coming at you, you are passing it sideways, because he is going to come and muller you."
He added: "The big thing for me is that not a lot of people can tell the difference between performance and potential. Even top players and managers. They will say he can't do this or this. But he's young, so if he can do two or three things really well, he's nailed on."
Nickson also revealed details of the signing of Yankuba Minteh: "I went to see a young boy called Yankuba Minteh who I signed for £4.8m and went to him, met him, watched him. Four things I chose but he was poor at some things, but he was nailed on. It didn't go too well but they backed me, then he went on loan to Feyenoord and we sold him for £30m, and he hadn't even stepped in the club. That's because he had three or four things, super strengths, potential is up and down, but if he's got three or four things let's have a go. You can't let the human get in the way and think you know best."
The former Newcastle talent spotter also lifted the lid on Newcastle's aborted move for AFC Bournemouth ace Alex Scott, then at Bristol City, with Ashworth blocking the deal as he felt that Elliot Anderson's progress would have been dented. Nickson said: "I remember we were looking at Alex Scott at that time. Dan Ashworth stopped, at £18m, and said: 'What does he give us that Elliot can't?' He would have blocked Elliot's pathway. We kept Elliot, we always would have, but his path would have been blocked, you have to open that up."
He added: "Elliot had good people around him, if young players aren't with good people they can fall off the rails. Elliot was so small at 15/16 compared to others, nobody took much notice, Glenn Craggs the head of youth said he'd play first-team and play for England and everybody laughed. But Glenn knew, sometimes if one member of staff sees something you have to go with it."
