Wrexham Closing In On Newcastle United Recruitment Chief
Wrexham are reportedly preparing to appoint Newcastle United recruitment chief Steve Nickson as part of an overhaul of their football operation.
Nickson is expected to take a newly created sporting director position at the Racecourse Ground, although his arrival is not anticipated until September. The prospective appointment would place him alongside Phil Parkinson as Wrexham attempt to turn their rapid rise through the divisions into a challenge for Premier League football.
The Newcastle executive has spent around 15 years at St James’ Park and has been involved in several major transfers. Miguel Almirón, Joelinton and Bruno Guimarães were among the players signed during his time in the club’s recruitment department.
Wrexham are believed to have faced competition from West Ham United, but the current report suggests the Welsh club are now close to completing the appointment.
Parkinson guided Wrexham to three successive promotions before establishing them in the Championship last season. A seventh-place finish left them narrowly outside the play-offs, strengthening the belief that another promotion challenge is possible with the right additions.
The club have yet to make a senior signing this summer, despite taking a 28-player squad on their pre-season tour of the United States. Parkinson has already made it clear that further quality is required.
“We feel we’ve got areas in the squad where we’re light in terms of taking on the challenge of the Championship, which is a relentless league.
“There’s areas which we feel we need to improve. We’ve identified those since the start of summer and we’re working towards that.”
Nickson’s contacts and experience of operating in the Premier League transfer market could prove particularly useful as Wrexham attempt to bridge the remaining gap between the Championship and the top flight.
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