Newcastle target Ross Wilson’s four best Nottingham Forest signings, including the ‘bargain of the season’

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Newcastle United are reportedly looking to appoint Nottingham Forest sporting director Ross Wilson as their replacement for Paul Mitchell.

In May, fans were rocked by the news that sporting director Paul Mitchell would be leaving Newcastle United after less than a year in the role. The 43-year-old had not made a single signing for the first team, and now he had decided it was the right time to go.

Mitchell cited Darren Eales’ Newcastle exit as a reason why he was leaving. The Magpies’ CEO brought him to the club and is seemingly following him out the door.

With Mitchell confirmed to be leaving, work has been going on behind the scenes to find his successor, and it was reported that Nottingham Forest sporting director Ross Wilson is one of the names on the list.

The Daily Mail reports that no final decision has been made, but Wilson has support from members of Newcastle’s staff. The 41-year-old is well respected in the game, having worked at clubs like Southampton, Huddersfield Town and Rangers in the past.

With Wilson appearing to be one of the leading candidates for the job, here are some of his best signings from his job at Nottingham Forest.

Elliot Anderson

A player Newcastle fans wish they still had, Elliot Anderson was sensational in his first season at Forest. The young midfielder was thrown straight into the starting XI and made a huge difference, even scoring on two occasions.

Anderson joined Forest for £35m, a record sale for Newcastle but one they did not want to make. Howe was reluctant to let Anderson leave, although he ultimately knew it was something the club had to do to avoid a PSR points deduction.

While Anderson himself was not happy to leave Newcastle, he has shown what Newcastle are missing with his confidence on the ball, set-piece play and work rate.

Anthony Elanga

Another player Newcastle fans will be well aware of, Anthony Elanga has proven his worth since joining Forest in 2023. The Sweden international joined Forest for just £15m that summer and has looked unstoppable since.

His form did not halt in the 2024/25 campaign either, with the winger scoring six goals and bagging 11 assists, the third highest assist total in the Premier League.

Newcastle are interested in Elanga and are hoping to do a deal with him this summer after having an approach knocked back on deadline day in summer 2024, but it is expected to cost them a pretty penny.

Should Newcastle sign him, Elanga would form an attacking partnership with fellow Swede Alexander Isak, who is desperate for new signings this summer.

Nikola Milenkovic

At £10.1m, very few would have expected defender Nikola Milenkovic to perform as well as he has. The 27-year-old was a huge part of Forest’s starting XI last season after completing a move from Serie A side Fiorentina, missing just one game throughout the Premier League season.

Milenkovic was also a surprise source for goals in the Premier League, scoring five in his 37 appearances. Having been hailed as the ‘bargain of the season’, Milenkovic won Forest’s Player of the Season award for his efforts.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo is also a huge fan of the defender. In October 2024, he told Sky Sports: “He is contagious to be around. This is what makes him so valuable for us, his character. He brought us stability, leadership, and aggressiveness.

“Defending requires the physical part also but it is a lot about mentality. You have to be relentless. Attackers have a different mindset. One mistake does not mean too much. Back there, it needs 100 per cent focus. Every minute, every action. Nikola has that.”

Callum Hudson-Odoi

A deadline day signing in 2023, Callum Hudson-Odoi has silenced the critics and made a name for himself at Nottingham Forest.

After a rocky couple of years at Chelsea, the 24-year-old needed a fresh start. Forest signed him for around £5m, which now looks like an absolute bargain given how much he has played and the goals he has scored.

Hudson-Odoi scored the only goal in Forest’s 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield early in the season, helping secure the club’s first win away against Liverpool since 1969.

His five goals in 28 league appearances were crucial to Forest’s Conference League qualification for next season, so he has undoubtedly paid back his transfer fee.

With Wilson signing so many quality players for bargain fees, Newcastle fans will no doubt hope that he can do the same in the North East if he is to take up the sporting director role.