Article body analysed
By LIAM MORGAN, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Published: 23: 53 AEST, 10 October 2025 | Updated: 23: 54 AEST, 10 October 2025 1 View comments Newcastle United are set to appoint Ross Wilson as their new sporting director and are in talks with Nottingham Forest over a compensation package, according to reports. Daily Mail Sport exclusively revealed in June that Wilson was among the names in the frame to succeed Paul Mitchell in the crucial role at St James' Park. Wilson, 41, has been Forest’s sporting director and chief football officer since 2023 having previously held similar roles at Rangers and Southampton. He is well thought of within the game and is seen as a professional operator. Crucially for Newcastle, he has Premier League experience. Newcastle’s owners are keen to learn by past mistakes, and the appointment of Mitchell, who left in June after less than a year in the position, by chief executive Darren Eales last summer was said to be rushed through after first choice Dougie Freedman turned down the club’s offer. The Telegraph reports Newcastle are now on the verge of appointing Wilson, who has played a vital role in Forest's resurgence over the past two seasons. Newcastle are set to appoint Nottingham Forest director Ross Wilson to a key role at the club Manager Eddie Howe reportedly pushed for the appointment of Wilson, who spent two years at Forest Elliot Anderson, Nikola Milenkovi and Anthony Elanga are among the signings Wilson worked closely on during his time with Forest, while he has also overseen improvements to the club's academy and medical department. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has reportedly pushed for the appointment of the Scot, likened to Kofi Annan - the former UN secretary general - by one agent for his negotiating ability. Howe's relationship with Mitchell had been strained at times during his short tenure with the club. Wilson's impending departure also deals a significant blow to Forest and comes at a time where there are doubts over the future of manager Ange Postecoglou. Former Arsenal assistant sporting director Jason Ayto had also talked with the recruitment firm tasked with finding Mitchell's replacement. Ayto, 40, joined Brighton as their technical director last month.
Share what you think
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd