Newcastle United transfer twist as major exit set to be confirmed after being spotted at training ground
Newcastle United are set for a major departure behind the scenes this summer.
Newcastle United head of recruitment Steve Nickson is set to leave the club after 15 years.
Nickson is expected to join recently relegated West Ham United following an approach from the Championship club.
NewcastleWorld understands Nickson’s expected departure won’t impact Newcastle’s summer transfer window, with sporting director Ross Wilson, senior football executive Andy Howe and head coach Eddie Howe at the forefront of plans already in place.
As of Tuesday, Nickson was still present at the Newcastle United training centre.
Nickson joined Newcastle from Blackburn Rovers in 2011 in a youth recruitment role. He was then promoted to head of recruitment under Rafael Benitez in 2017.
The 61-year-old remained in his post following Newcastle’s PIF-led takeover in 2021, helping the club identify several key players during a period of significant transfer investment.
Nickson visited Brazil in January 2022 to finalise the signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon. The Brazilian has gone on to establish himself as a club legend and captain on Tyneside.
Other key additions such as Anthony Gordon, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak also arrived under Nickson’s watch. Though his recruitment role in recent seasons has not been as prominent.
The transfer window officially opened on Monday, the same day the news broke of Nickson’s potential departure.
It comes after sporting director Paul Mitchell’s departure was confirmed a matter of days into the 2025 summer transfer window. But Nickson’s exit is not expected to negatively impact Newcastle’s business in the same manner Mitchell’s did 12 months ago.
Wilson has since been appointed as Newcastle’s new sporting director while the club will now look to identify a replacement for Nickson in the head of recruitment position.