It remains to be seen whether Newcastle would return to the table for Wolves star after signing both Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa but the Magpies’ top recruitment man was in the stands watching on this weekend
05:00, 04 Jan 2026Updated 08:25, 04 Jan 2026
Steve Nickson and Andy Howe
Newcastle United’s head of recruitment Steve Nickson was in attendance at Molineux on Saturday afternoon with the Magpies keeping their options open in the January window.
Chronicle Live can reveal that Nickson was an interested spectator in the stands as Wolves finally got off the mark with a 3-0 win over West Ham in the Premier League. Nickson – who is very much a talent scout rather than running the rule over future opponents – has been influential when it comes to recruitment during the Eddie Howe era.
We understand that Newcastle’s initial transfer talks have involved discussions about new defenders but there is also flexibility in those plans. The word “opportunistic” has also been used publicly by Eddie Howe and Ross Wilson.
Newcastle were keen to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen in the summer window and bid up to £55m for the Norwegian international. But the deal did not come off and the Magpies ended up signing Nick Woltemade for £69m from Stuttgart.
The Wolves striker stayed put and has scored just three times for Wolves this season with relegation inevitable for Rob Edwards’ side. Strand Larsen has been linked with both Nottingham Forest, Everton, and West Ham in recent weeks, with a £40m fee mooted.
Whether Nickson was taking a fresh look at the former Celta Vigo man remains to be seen but he only came off the bench against the Hammers. Another name believed to have been put to Newcastle is 18-year-old Wolves youngster Mateus Mane with the striker catching the eye with a third goal for the home side.
Nickson’s assignment was not completely clear, with Howe admitting on Friday that he was unsure if he would make additions in the winter window. United are also keen to add defensive recruits to their ranks, given the spate of injuries to their backline.
Speaking about scouting, sporting director Wilson said only in January: “The scouting work is always ongoing. So, the guys are doing loads of work with that all the time.
“Can we spend in January? Yes. If we want to, we can. I think it’s fairly obvious to everybody given the level of club spend in the summer that we’re not going to do that again in the winter window as well, for a variety of reasons.
“But if we want to spend, we can. Of course, we’ll be creative, of course we’ll be opportunistic as well.
“But probably the most important thing is that it would have to align with what the summer plan looks like, which is the bigger squad plan.”
Speaking on Friday, Howe was asked if he would make a marquee signing this month, he said: “’Marquee signing’, I don’t know quite what that means – I suppose you’re talking big financial outlay? I don’t think that’s the desire in this month for various reasons, because I don’t think it’s a great month necessarily to make that kind of signing.
“Any signing that we do make in this window will restrict our ability to do business in the summer, so I think we’ve got to be really careful that we make the right decisions for the here and now and for the future.”
Strand Larsen only joined Wolves on a permanent deal from Celta Vigo in the summer for £23m. He was deemed too expensive at £55m by some but a reduced fee, and Wanderers’ likely relegation, could focus minds on a cheaper price.
When asked on Strand Larsen’s future, Edwards said recently: “We will make the right call on every individual.
“Only time will tell. It will be a club decision and I am sure there will be movement in and out because we want to make an impact in the month.”
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