Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of a new sporting director, with Ross Wilson arriving at the club with a lot on his immediate agenda.
Wilson joins Newcastle from Nottingham Forest, having served as their chief football officer.
Terms of his release from Forest will remain confidential between the two clubs, with Wilson now responsible for "sporting strategy, development and recruitment across men's, women's and Academy teams" at Newcastle.
"I'm absolutely delighted to be here at Newcastle United," Wilson said.
"This is such a special club, and I fully understand the passion, ambition and expectations of our incredible supporters, as well as the ambition and desire of our ownership to keep developing and building an even stronger Newcastle United.
"My conversations with ownership have been extremely positive, and I've also been in regular contact with Eddie Howe and [CEO] David Hopkinson.
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"The trust, cohesion and alignment we're building already feels strong, and we believe that being united as a team will be so important as we continue to move the club forward together."
New contracts high on Wilson's agenda
Wilson will have wide remit at Newcastle, but the priority with the first team concerns new contracts for three key players.
Sandro Tonali, Sven Botman and Tino Livramento are all set to be offered new deals, according to a report in The Telegraph.
Centre-back Botman's contract expires in 2027, while midfielder Tonali and full-back Livramento are under contract until 2028.
Still, it would be wise to sign both Tonali and Livramento to new deals to decrease the likelihood of moves elsewhere.
A new contract for Tonali would dampen talk of a return to AC Milan. In the case of Livramento, who was linked to Manchester City this summer, an improved and extended contract would be especially prudent.
Livramento is out with a knee injury suffered in the defeat to Arsenal last month. However, when fit he is likely to return to the England frame and there is a strong chance he will be in the spotlight at the World Cup.
Wilson will be under pressure to deliver next summer after Newcastle's transfer strategy came into question before the start of the current campaign.
Newcastle's new signings have impressed, with Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw the standouts.
Still, things will be expected to run more smoothly with Wilson at the helm, and there will be a lot more confidence in the club's direction if he can help Newcastle tie down three foundational pieces of their team.
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