Newcastle United are beginning a new era under Ross Wilson, who is receiving recognition for his work at Nottingham Forest.
Staff turnover has been a problem in the PIF era at Newcastle United.
Just when you think Newcastle have it all sorted off the pitch, another member of staff departs.
Chief Commercial Officer Peter Silverstone is leaving the club, as reports last week suggested that he is Juventus-bound.
The sporting director job has been the trickiest so far, with Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell moving on much sooner than anybody anticipated.
Ross Wilson has started work as Newcastle’s new sporting director, and hopes are high.
Sporting director Ross Wilson is pictured outside Newcastle United's training ground.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Newcastle United’s Ross Wilson named among best sporting directors
Wilson has made a strong impression on CEO David Hopkinson in the early stages of his Newcastle career.
The hope is that Newcastle have finally found a sporting director for the long term.
MORE NEWCASTLE STORIES
Wilson’s work at Nottingham Forest was certainly impressive, and he has now been recognised as one of the best in the game.
Transfer Room have compiled a list of the top 10 sporting directors based on the net value added from their transfers.
Txiki Begiristain’s work at Manchester City saw him claim top spot, ahead of Frankfurt’s Timmo Hardung, former Crystal Palace man Dougie Freedman and Marco Di Vaio of Bologna.
Wilson then comes in fifth, with Transfer Room suggesting that his transfers at Rangers and Nottingham Forest added €319million (£280million) worth of value.
Wilson even ranks ahead of Brentford’s Phil Giles and Luis Campos from his time at Lille, long before he masterminded Paris Saint-Germain’s success.
This shows that Wilson has worked wonders in the transfer market – and Newcastle will now expect a similar impact.
Ross Wilson’s best transfers before arriving at Newcastle United
Wilson moved to Rangers in 2019 and earned a huge profit on Calvin Bassey with his move to Ajax.
Signings in the 2021-22 season were nowhere near as successful, but Rangers still reached the Europa League final against Ajax.
Wilson found value in Scotland, England and abroad to build a title-winning Gers side under Steven Gerrard.
The Scot moved on to Forest and pulled off some big deals, including the signings of Ola Aina, Murillo, Nicolas Dominguez and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Newcastle summer signing Anthony Elanga joined Forest under Wilson, as did former Magpies duo Matz Sels and Chris Wood.
Wilson raided Newcastle to sign Elliot Anderson in 2024, alongside the major arrival of Nikola Milenkovic at the back.
Forest’s 2025 summer signings have been a mixed bag, but there is more than enough reason to believe that Wilson can find quality additions for Newcastle in 2026 and beyond.