West Ham face Wrexham threat for off-pitch Newcastle United raid | OneFootball

Steve Nickson is wanted by both Championship sides ahead of the new season

With the 2026/27 Championship season now less than two months away, West Ham United and Wrexham are two sides that will be heavily fancied to mount promotion bids to the Premier League.

The two sides have not been in the same division as each other for 45 years, and just three years ago, were five apart in the English pyramid as the Hammers achieved European glory in the UEFA Conference League final just weeks after the Red Dragons finally escaped from the non-league scene by winning the National League title.

However, they will certainly earn their fair share of the spotlight over the coming weeks and months, especially in the summer transfer window which opened earlier this week, as a result of the finances on offer at the London Stadium and Stok Cae Ras compared to some of their Championship rivals.

West Ham's relegation came despite a relative upturn in results under Nuno Espírito Santo, who recently confirmed he would be staying on as head coach into his first full season.

Wrexham, meanwhile, lost out on the opportunity to swap places with the Irons and reach the top-flight for the first time in club history, as they finished seventh, one place and two points behind eventual play-off victors, Hull City, after a well-documented squad turnover under Phil Parkinson.

The North Wales side would be looking at a play-off campaign if they were to finish in the exact same position in 2026/27 though, and in a bid to further realise their ambitions, are reportedly rivalling the capital side when it comes to an off-pitch change.

Wrexham eye Steve Nickson, Newcastle United raid after West Ham links

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Indeed, whilst Nuno has confirmed he will stay at West Ham for next season, the club are braced for some major changes to its hierarchy, especially after the resignations of Karren Brady and David Sullivan.

It has been widely reported that Czech billionaire and current investor, Daniel Křetínský, is set to become their majority stakeholder as a result, while they look to add further staff within the higher-up positions.

Steve Nickson has been Newcastle United's head of recruitment for 15 years, overseeing the transition from the Mike Ashley era to the ownership of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund five years ago, and has become a prime target to take up a similar position at West Ham, who had also reportedly showed an interest in Kieran Scott of Middlesbrough.

However, in a fresh twist, it has now been reported by Craig Hope of the Daily Mail that Wrexham are showing an interest in Nickson to potentially perform such duties in North Wales under the high-profile ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.

It has been stated that, after confirming he will leave the Tyneside outfit, Nickson has not agreed any deal in principle with West Ham and could very much end up at the Stok Cae Ras.

How Newcastle United fans are reacting to latest Steve Nickson departure twist

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The atmosphere surrounding Newcastle hasn't exactly been great in the past year or so, with the North East club finishing 12th in the Premier League standings after previously qualifying for the UEFA Champions League twice under their high-profile investors.

They haven't exactly had the best start to the transfer window either, having been pipped to the post by Liverpool, yet again, when it came to the transfer battle for highly-rated Spaniard, Victor Munoz, who will move to Anfield for £34.5m.

Reacting to the latest twist on Nickson's upcoming whereabouts, it's fair to say many were not pleased.

Another disgruntled Geordie is seemingly perplexed as to how Wrexham and West Ham are now in a position to poach from within their hierarchy.

Meanwhile, others have backed Nickson to succeed at Wrexham if it is to be his destination, especially after impacting Newcastle's moves for Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak.

Another was quick to praise the Red Dragons for their continued ambition, as opposed to that of the Magpies.'

Wrexham would hope to serve West Ham a major off-field blow in Championship promotion scene

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It has been claimed by other outlets closer to West Ham that a deal was in place between themselves and Nickson, but now it remains to be seen whether that is to be the case.

Given the 61-year-old's track record when it comes to acquisitions, it is an exciting move for either Championship side, who will be going in search of any advantage they can find over their rivals before the campaign gets underway in mid-August.