Sources: Newcastle agree Hammond deal as new recruitment plan revealed
Former Celtic head of recruitment Nick Hammond has agreed to a short-term Newcastle United transfer adviser role, Football Insider understands.
The club’s new owners have been searching for a proven recruitment expert to run their transfer business.
A Newcastle source has told Football Insider the club have now turned to former Celtic, Reading and West Brom man Hammond to help Eddie Howe identify and work on potential transfer targets in the January window.
The Saudi-owned club are still in the market for a permanent director of football and will continue their search.
They came close to appointing former Chelsea supremo Michael Emanelo but could not agree on how the role would work.
As such, the Magpies have moved for a short-term solution ahead of the January transfer window.
They have agreed terms with Hammond, who will now work with the recruitment team at St James' Park to identify and recruit new signings.
As revealed by Football Insider on Wednesday (15 December), Newcastle have already got the ball rolling on their transfer plans after opening talks over a deal for Kieran Trippier.
Hammond has been out of work since leaving his post as Celtic's head of football operations back in March.
The 54-year-old initially joined the Bhoys in a consultancy role back in June 2019.
He was then handed a permanent senior position at Parkhead in October that year.
Hammond, who spent some time coaching after hanging up his boots, became Reading's youth academy director in 2000.
He was then appointed the Royals' director of football in 2003.
The former goalkeeper left the Berkshire-based outfit to become technical director at West Brom in 2016.