According to The Athletic, Newcastle have hired Nick Hammond as a temporary consultant, following his resignation from Celtic in March.
What’s the story?
Well, the 54-year-old quit his job at Celtic earlier this year in order to pursue new opportunities.
It’s safe to say he’s found an interesting one on Tyneside, as Amanda Staveley and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) have appointed him to help with their recruitment.
What makes this role intriguing for Hammond is that he will have a huge amount of money to work with, a stark contrast to his role at Celtic in which the budget did not stretch far.
Newcastle’s owners are worth £320bn, and they are already said to have made a nine-figure bid for Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.
In truth, the Magpies are putting an enormous amount of faith in Hammond, as this is arguably the most crucial transfer window for Newcastle in years.
Eddie Howe has a huge task on his hands, as his side currently sit 19th in the Premier League with one win from 17 games.
What will Nick Hammond bring to Newcastle after Celtic exit?
Well, Hammond will have to do a lot better on Tyneside than he did in Glasgow, as he made some underwhelming signings before quitting.
Hammond signed Ismaila Soro, who hasn’t exactly set Scotland alight, while he also brought Shane Duffy to Celtic before watching him struggle hugely.
The Athletic understand Hammond will help Newcastle find a new centre-back, full-back and central midfielder – at least – during the January transfer window.
Newcastle’s owners still plan to go down the Director of Football setup, but after being rejected by ex-Chelsea man Michael Emenalo, a short-term option in Hammond has been chosen with time running out.
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