Steve Nickson's impressive Newcastle business should have West Ham fans excited

Steve Nickson could become the newest member of the West Ham United recruitment staff

The Hammers are in need of a new transfer chief after the departure of Max Hahn.

His fate was sealed after relegation from the Premier League was sealed on the final day of the campaign.

After two years with the Irons he's moved on and will certainly need to be replaced in the coming days or weeks.

Nickson has emerged as a target for the vacant role after nine successful seasons at the helm of Newcastle United.

The Magpies' head of recruitment could soon be on his way to the London Stadium as we assess his best signings over the years at St James' Park.

Steve Nickson has turned massive profit at Newcastle United

The London Stadium outfit are willing to hand a new transfer chief increased responsibility for any dealings this summer.

That could prove to be in the hands of Nickson after The Newcastle Chronicle reported on Monday that his services are on the Irons' radar.

Having the opportunity to work without a narrow remit could be perfect as he has proven at Newcastle that he can work with a budget to land signings for both the short and long term.

He played a role to bring both Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn to the North-East and, despite being at the latter end of their careers, they had a telling impact on success under Eddie Howe.

Nickson has also had money to spend, but has spent it wisely on a number of big-name signings.

Bruno Guimaraes has been a stalwart since his move from Lyon, but it is Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon who have brought in massive fees for the Magpies.

The Swede signed for Liverpool in the summer for a British record and marked a £62million profit, while Gordon's recent move to Barcelona marked a yield of around £25m.

That has proven that the West Ham target can work with big sums to excellent effect, but can also work with a lesser amount.

Nickson could be perfect for West Ham

The East London club have long needed to be shrewd in the transfer market with the signings they make.

Although someone like Mateus Fernandes may be a positive example, there have been far too many Niclas Fullkrug and Max Kilman-type deals over the years.

Those sort of deals would likely become a thing of the past under Nickson based on his spell with Newcastle.

Even cheaper deals have been useful at St James' with Burn, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron representing value for money in a difficult market.

That is all backed up by his desire in the past to sign the likes of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Moises Caicedo before they went on to be the household names they are today.

All this points to a potentially superb appointment for West Ham in an era where smart decisions in the boardroom have often been hard to come by.