West Ham United are expected to hire former Newcastle chief Steve Nickson as the new sporting director at the London Stadium.
And as the Hammers close in on a man who helped transform the Magpies from perennial underachievers into Champions League challengers and Wembley winners, it appears that Nickson emerged as the prime candidate ahead of a number of alternatives.
It is no secret that West Ham United are big admirers of Kieran Scott; the head of recruitment at Newcastle’s near-neighbours Middlesbrough.
Boro can breathe a sigh of relief now, then. TEAMtalk say that Nickson is joining West Ham amid much frustration from the Newcastle faithful.
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The Newcastle chief is London-bound… 📝
Other names who were under consideration at the London Stadium reportedly include Lee Dykes, Brentford’s technical director, and the currently unattached Paul Mitchell.
West Ham United pick Newcastle chief Steve Nickson
TEAMtalk say that Nickson is set to get the gig after ‘positive talks’ with West Ham. Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has moved quickly to get Nickson through the door ahead of what is expected to be a hectic summer of incomings and outgoings.
After Kretinsky won the battle to keep Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach, the impending arrival of the 61-year-old recruitment expert represents another key piece in a jigsaw whose picture is starting to reveal itself.
While the aforementioned Kieran Scott brought the likes of Morgan Rogers to Middlesbrough, Nickson convinced Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Kieran Trippier and co to join Newcastle’s ambitious, post-Saudi takeover project.
Lee Dykes and Paul Mitchell were considered by the Hamemrs
Lee Dykes, a key player in Brentford’s emergence as an established Premier League outfit, was also on West Ham’s radar.
Dykes was appointed as Brentford’s head of scouting in 2019 and promoted to technical director in 2022.
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In that time, the Bees have gone from the Championship to missing out on European qualification on goal difference. Dykes oversaw the signings of Bryan Mbeumo, Ivan Toney, Yoane Wissa and Mikkel Damsgaard, in addition to the appointments of Thomas Frank and Keith Andrews.
Paul Mitchell, interestingly, worked alongside Nickson during a brief eleven-month spell at Newcastle from 2024 to 2025.
He shot to fame working alongside Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton and Tottenham, though subsequent stints at RB Leipzig, Monaco and St James’ Park have brought greater scrutiny.
Mitchell has had roles at nine different clubs since 2010. Nickson, in contrast, had spent the last 15 years at Newcastle.
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