Nick Hammond has joined Everton to lead the club’s recruitment this summer, reuniting with Angus Kinnear after previously working together at Leeds United.
Hammond arrives with a wealth of experience, which includes spells at West Brom, Celtic, Newcastle and Leeds. Though modern recruitment is often shared between extensive teams, Hammond has had a key role in some impressive transfer business. Ahead of his first summer with Everton, we’ve looked at some of his success stories.
Jeremie Frimpong – Manchester City to Celtic (£250,000)
Hammond first joined Celtic in a recruitment consultancy role in 2019, before being appointed as head of football operations later that year. One of the first hits of his first summer in Scotland was the £250,000 arrival of Jeremie Frimpong from Manchester City.
The teenager moved north of the border having never made a first-team appearance at the Etihad, but was an instant hit. Frimpong’s first season ended in a domestic treble, before interest from Europe emerged. After 18 months, he was sold to Bayer Leverkusen for an £11.5m fee, banking a healthy profit.
Kyogo Furuhashi – Vissel Kobe to Celtic (£4.5m)
A transfer perhaps pushed by Ange Postecoglou given his experience of the Japanese market but a success nonetheless. The 26-year-old had never played outside his homeland before a £4.5m move to Celtic in 2021.
He hit the ground running in Scotland, scoring 20 goals in his debut season. The following campaign, the Japan forward netted 34 times to win the league’s Golden Boot and Player of the Year award. Furuhashi scored 85 goals in 165 games for Celtic before being sold to Rennes for £10m in January 2025.
Bruno Guimaraes – Lyon to Newcastle United (£35m)
Newcastle’s new-found wealth needed the right people to lead the recruitment and Hammond joined the Magpies in December 2021. That January, the struggling side splashed the cash in a bid to stay up with Bruno Guimaraes the marquee recruit. Several sides in England had looked at the Brazilian, but Newcastle were rewarded after pulling the trigger. Guimaraes has been one of the Premier League’s most influential players at St James’ Park and captained the side to League Cup success last season. He’s arguably now worth three-fold the initial investment.
Dan Burn – Brighton to Newcastle United (£12m)
Some questioned the decision to spend £12m on Dan Burn in January 2022. The North-East native had been a solid if unspectacular Premier League performer, but addressed an area of weakness at Newcastle.
Burn helped Newcastle stay up in 2022/23, before the Magpies secured Champions League qualification the following year with the Premier League’s best defensive record.
A fixture in the side, Burn has produced the best football of his career at his boyhood club. In 2025, he scored in the club’s drought-breaking League Cup success and made his England debut.
Ao Tanaka – Fortuna Dusseldorf to Leeds (£2.95m)
Hammond was tasked with getting Leeds United back into the Premier League in 2023. After falling just short in year one, Leeds lost key figures in Georgino Rutter, Archie Gray, and Crysencio Summerville, with a rebuild required.
Ao Tanaka was an astute addition, joining from German second-tier side Fortuna Dusseldorf for just £2.95m. A key part of their Championship-winning season last term, the Japan midfielder was named Leeds’ Players’ Player of the Season.
Reader Comments (58)
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Lester Yip
1 Posted
11/06/2025 at
13:55:53
Good to know. Any unsuccessful purchase to give us a more balanced view?
Keith Gleave
2 Posted
11/06/2025 at
15:06:11
have you seen the membership prices
Ajay Gopal
3 Posted
11/06/2025 at
15:13:56
I like that he has dipped into the Japanese market in the past. Those are the type of under explored markets that we should look into.
Phil Roberts
4 Posted
11/06/2025 at
15:41:28
Far too many articles and the odd Everton related error.
Barry Williams
5 Posted
11/06/2025 at
16:20:41
I lived in Japan for just short of 3 years – and I have been back several times since and played in a football tournament in Japan. There is a lot of untapped talent in the country and the Japanese players and sports folk in general are very dedicated and look after themselves too (I fought over in Japan on the unlicenced scene and was involved in reffing, corner work etc. so I have seen this first hand), so yeah – I think it is well worth looking at the Japanese market as football has really taken off there in recent decades – and some!
Edward Rogers
6 Posted
11/06/2025 at
17:01:33
Harry Diamond isn’t he Rory McIlroy’s caddy???
Kevin Naylor
7 Posted
11/06/2025 at
17:44:14
Yes Keith (2) £25 for those aged 0-3 what a joke.
Barry Williams
8 Posted
11/06/2025 at
18:57:31
Correction – just short of 6 years!
Tony Abrahams
9 Posted
11/06/2025 at
19:05:35
Energy, what sport doesnt produce better results when the energy levels are higher?
I also believe that the Japanese, are very humble people, and think this is something that goes a long way in a team sport?
Ray Roche
10 Posted
11/06/2025 at
19:17:57
Dont know if this has been posted elsewhere but Thierry Small (remember him) has just gone to PNE, his 6th or 7th club since he decided we werent good enough for him. Thats him or his “agent” aka his uncle.
Barry Williams
11 Posted
11/06/2025 at
19:49:32
I met some right cockey Japanese too, but generally yes, a humble culture.
Teams could do a lot worse than go down the Japanese route for players.
Stephen Davies
12 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:01:46
It’s AFCON in December.
We will be losing Beto, Gueye & Ndiaye till well into January.
We need some very good cover.
Mark Murphy
13 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:20:53
Shit! I thought Beto was Portuguese!
Then we HAVE to get someone in!
Wheres Chermiti from btw?
James Fletcher
14 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:30:05
He is Portuguese but plays for Guinnea-Bassau
Mark Murphy
15 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:31:56
Yeah, I googled it James.
I didnt know that! 🫣
Ian Jones
16 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:32:14
Mark, Chermiti is from Portugal, with African parents probably 🙂
Mark Murphy
17 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:34:35
Thanks Ian, I assume his parentage is Mozambique then. I have Portuguese friends with the same heritage.
By the way – I know an Ian Jones from St Helens. A chef who lives in Mallorca. PLEASE tell me youre not the same one???
Robert Tressell
18 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:38:38
Chermiti is Tunisian in origin
Ian Jones
19 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:41:49
Mark, and there’s me wondering whether you are that Mark Murphy…but nope, your secrets are safe, I’m not him!
Seamus McCrudden
20 Posted
11/06/2025 at
20:54:39
Mark,
That wouldn’t be Liberty Kitchen Ian Jones? Think he’s a red though!
Mark Murphy
21 Posted
11/06/2025 at
21:20:06
Seamus!!! That is indeed him and he is indeed a dirty red!
Ive had many run ins with him since the mid 90s!
Big Saints fan but a koppite of the lowest order!
Last time I saw him was after the 2-0 at Goodison last year and I burst into his bar singing “you lost the league at Goodison Park”
After hed stopped spluttering we drank pints until the early hours.
Hes lived a life, that lad! 🫣
Mark Murphy
22 Posted
11/06/2025 at
21:24:17
“Great food and copious drinks. Shame the chefs a koppite🫣”
Brian Williams
23 Posted
11/06/2025 at
21:30:59
One p Mark, one p. 😱
Mark Murphy
24 Posted
11/06/2025 at
21:39:57
Auto correct Bryn, autocorrect.
Xxx
Martin Mason
25 Posted
11/06/2025 at
21:40:29
Brian, be it not like me to be picky but my AI says that “Koppite” appears to be the more accurate form based on its etymology. The Urban dictionary says Koppite for RS supporter. Being as they are thick and would inevitably spell their own name wrong could be 2 p’s?
Brian Williams
26 Posted
11/06/2025 at
22:10:21
Its one p end of story. And with the utmost respect “fuck AI.”
Andrew McLawrence
27 Posted
11/06/2025 at
22:11:35
Imagine the fume if Grealish is our marquis signing
Danny O’Neill
28 Posted
11/06/2025 at
22:17:55
Kopites are gobshites. Every single one of them (delete/insert preferred word)
Kopites are gobshites, even little
I’ll just leave it there.
Martin Mason
29 Posted
11/06/2025 at
22:40:28
Andre@27, I would say that Grealish to Everton is impossible unless the economics were credible because we are now a professionally run club. I believe that we are.
Ray Robinson
30 Posted
11/06/2025 at
22:53:48
If the current PSR rules are to be replaced this season by a new wages to turnover ratio cap, which I believe is the case (someone else can explain the exact details), how could Everton afford even half of Grealish’s salary? Why would we even pay half his salary when that amount would exceed the current highest earner’s wage? Most Premiership sides are going to have to reduce wage bills over the coming years, so this feels like an absolute non-starter to me.
Derek Thomas
31 Posted
11/06/2025 at
23:32:12
‘They’ (they being the modern electronic world and assorted spell check gizmos) can put 2 Ps in it if they- it just gives us more P to take.
kopite = 1P = 1 gobshite = 20 Evertonians
Martin Mason
32 Posted
11/06/2025 at
23:41:38
Derek, but wrongly in English Grammar. Clap, clappers; Kop, Koppites. Kopites in slang but not English. Last word or it will become DOM vs Beto.
Mike Gaynes
33 Posted
11/06/2025 at
23:59:45
Kopite in American English means a very small police officer.
Si Cooper
34 Posted
12/06/2025 at
00:25:57
Intense debate over the spelling of kopite/ koppite, but no-one surprised Grealish may end up being a ‘marquis signing.
Would go well with Moyesys OBE I suppose.
Si Cooper
35 Posted
12/06/2025 at
00:34:09
Kopite is more a descriptor than simply a noun derived from a verb.
Si Cooper
36 Posted
12/06/2025 at
00:36:19
Phil (4), I think Harry introduced himself on another thread as the ‘editor.
Charless successor?
Andy Duff
38 Posted
12/06/2025 at
07:18:34
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/kris-commons-insists-celtic-transfer-23378510
Alan McGuffog
39 Posted
12/06/2025 at
07:25:47
Derek…is your equation correct ?
Danny O’Neill
40 Posted
12/06/2025 at
07:48:27
Any manager / DoF / recruitment specialist makes good acquirements and makes some that don’t come off. We could list them for countless managers and DoF over the years.
And let’s not forget, Howard Kendall’s first round of around 8 signings (don’t quote me), were forgettable. Apart from Southall and Kendall himself, signing himself on a free!!
I doubt very much that when approached and he went through the interview process, he focussed on his failings. And the club won’t be focussed on that. It will be what he has achieved.
We can judge him on what he does at Everton. There will be good signings, there will be those that don’t meet expectation. It’s never been any different for a variety of reasons.
I don’t see the point in wanting to draw out the negatives before this guy has even influenced the first Everton signing under the new recruitment structure.
Andy Duff
41 Posted
12/06/2025 at
07:55:46
No Danny it’s about balance every DOF had bad and good signings and I’ll judge him for what he does at Everton but it’s equally as pointless to just focus on the positives
Derek Thomas
42 Posted
12/06/2025 at
07:56:21
1Evertonian = 20 kopites. All with 1P, well 20p, which is 4 Bob in old money.
A case of meaning what I say Instead saying what I mean or something
Nurse!
Andy Duff
43 Posted
12/06/2025 at
08:00:14
✅ Top 5 Signings
1. Bruno Guimarães (Lyon → Newcastle, Jan 2022)
A transformational signing – quickly became a Brazil international, and was named 10/10 by Yorkshire Evening Post for his impact .
2. Kieran Trippier (Atlético Madrid → Newcastle, Jan 2022)
A bargain at ~£12 m, he led Newcastle’s defense into Champions League qualification — also rated 10/10 .
3. Jeremie Frimpong (Man City → Celtic, 2019)
Came from Man City for ~£300 k, developed impressively before being sold to Bayer Leverkusen for around £11.5 m .
4. Kieran Tierney (Celtic → Arsenal, 2019)
Celtics record sale of £25 m – a profitable move for both player and club .
5. Saido Berahino (West Brom → Stoke, 2017)
While his later career didnt match early promise, it was a significant £12 m sale during Hammond’s time at West Brom .
—
⚠️ 5 Worst Signings
From his time at Celtic, several high-profile signings underperformed and tarnished the clubs season:
Vasilis Barkas (~£4.5 m) – struggled defensively
Albian Ajeti (~£5 m) – failed to impress up front
Shane Duffy (loan) – disastrously poor performances
Patryk Klimala – negligible impact
Diego Laxalt – flattered to deceive, didn’t hold up
These signings drew major criticism, including from pundit Chris Sutton, who questioned Hammonds judgement .
—
🏆 Overall Evaluation
✅ Successes:
Reading: Thirteen years in management, overseeing two promotions and breaking the Championship points record — strong long-term impact.
West Brom: Mixed – built squads but faced relegation and was sacked in 2018 due to poor results .
Newcastle: Excellent short-term impact — five crucial January signings helped stabilize the side and propel them up the table .
✳️ Shortcomings:
Celtic: High-profile flops that arguably cost them the title and Champions League ambitions; public and fan backlash was significant .
🗣️ Fan & Analyst Sentiment:
Derned both “woeful” and “mess of a window” comments during his Celtic tenure .
Yet praised by supporters at Newcastle and Leeds for bringing structure and quality signings .
—
💡 Verdict – “Good” DoF?
Strengths
Has an eye for bargain talent and proven resale value (e.g., Tierney, Frimpong).
Excellent short-term impact in crisis – especially at Newcastles rescue window.
Weaknesses
Inconsistent long-term squad-building, with several high-profile failures (like Celtic’s summer 2020 window).
Mixed results across different levels: stellar at Reading, shaky at West Brom, flawed at Celtic.
Conclusion
Nick Hammond is best seen as a skilled short-term fixer with strong scouting and trading acumen, capable of delivering impactful, cost-effective signings. However, his long-term squad-building appears uneven, especially demonstrated by his stint at Celtic. So, is he a “good” DoF? Context matters — he excels in transitional or rescue roles but less so when tasked with sustained rebuilds under high expectations.
—
Bottom Line: Hammonds career is a rollercoaster — landmark signings and promotions balanced against costly misfires. Hes a high-upside option in the right context but not a universally dependable long-term architect.
Brian Williams
44 Posted
12/06/2025 at
08:27:34
Robert Tressell
45 Posted
12/06/2025 at
08:47:23
When you are being outmuscled financially by Ipswich you know things are bad.
Ian Jones
46 Posted
12/06/2025 at
08:59:37
Ray, all the way back at 10, I saw that about Thierry Small and my first thought was that perhaps the only thing great about him was his first name. Only 20.
I also saw that Isaac Price had scored his 9th goal Northern Ireland and had fairly recently turned up at West Brom after he went off to Standard Liege. We all love a stat, he’s scored 2 goals at club level.
Isaac’s 21.
Both players are still young enough to make a great career for themselves but you are right about agents.
Hopefully, Nick Hammond can use his knowledge to recruit some decent players.
Martin Farrington
47 Posted
12/06/2025 at
08:59:56
Robert, these guys are going to have to sort out the complete mess Thelwell left us in.
As quoted
“Unprecedented in premier league history”.
Danny O’Neill
48 Posted
12/06/2025 at
09:28:46
Tim Cahill versus Per Kroldrup.
All opinions Martin @47, but a mess? Tarkowski, McNeil, Jimmy Garner, the re-signing of Gana (Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season). The yet to be proven Chermiti and of course Jake O’Brien. Ndiaye and Alcaraz. Iroegbunam (Tim), who, injury free could turn out to be a good player for us. The marmite that is Beto.
Yes, some questionable ones, Maupay and Harrison spring to mind. Some would say Onana, but at least we made a decent profit on moving him onto Villa.
Not a bad return. A core to build on.
Operating under austere conditions with the dark clouds of PSR, a points deduction, disruption at board level and uncertainty with regards to the takeover, I don’t think he left a mess. He actually did a good job in the circumstances in my opinion.
Sam Hoare
49 Posted
12/06/2025 at
09:33:37
Martin, Id say the mess was very much of Moshiris making. Thelwell, whilst not perfect, managed to improve our squad whilst having a negative net spend and the lowest in the league. He bought in Ndiaye, OBrien and McNeill on low fees and made decent profit on Onana. Only real blip was Maupay who didnt end up being expensive.
Robert Tressell
50 Posted
12/06/2025 at
09:42:21
Martin, do you own a Lamborghini and a Yacht? If not, does this result from your incompetence when shopping? Or is there a bit more to it?
Brian Harrison
51 Posted
12/06/2025 at
09:49:52
You and I have had many a debate over DOFs although Hammond is coming in as part of the recruitment team rather than as a DOF. I think what happened with Jake O,Brien was a classic example of what can happen when I DOF buys a player and for some reason the manager doesn’t fancy him. I know David Moyes isn’t a big fan of the DOF model and quite rightly as he says its his head thats on the chopping block if results don’t work out, so he wants the final say on who comes and goes, and for me thats how it should be.
Danny O’Neill
52 Posted
12/06/2025 at
09:59:27
Hammond is not a DoF. I sense (don’t know), that he will be the business oversight of the recruitment team and the link to the board and CEO. Advising the recruitment team, which I understand could still include a Director of Sport being parachuted in at some point. This will take the pressure off the manager, who can just tell them who / what he wants. But it will take time for the new structure to settle and function.
The whole recruitment and academy management process has become too big a task for a manager to deal with on his own in my view.
Dave Abrahams
53 Posted
12/06/2025 at
09:59:36
Whatever you call them officially they are really Scouts who bring players to the notice of the clubs they work for——Walsh was one of them, I think you could say he was a failure, for me Thelwell did very well under the circumstances he worked under, was he dismissed by the new owners or was it his own decision to move on?
Martin Mason
54 Posted
12/06/2025 at
10:17:33
For some reason I read comments from bottom up. There are a few Martin’s on the board and on day’s like today I wondered what I’ve said with so many “shut your gob Martin”, comments. It wasn’t me this time.
Liam Mogan
55 Posted
12/06/2025 at
10:21:35
Just sounds like a managerial, organisational and logistics role to me. Probably just end up in long meetings and appraisals all day if my experience is anything to go by.
Brian Harrison
56 Posted
12/06/2025 at
10:22:58
I agree that the academy definitely needs sorting out, as we need to start producing better quality youngsters, Certainly Harrison Armstrong looks a very promising youngster. I know Dave Abrahams keeps a far closer eye on the youngsters than me, so it would be interesting to hear Daves thoughts in what he thinks needs to be done at Academy level. I have a feeling that Seamus might be handed the role of looking after the academy and for me that would be a positive step. As he would instil what is neede to become a first team player.
Martin Farrington
57 Posted
12/06/2025 at
10:23:26
If he was that good then player signings would have been way better. He would always be in a position to hold the upper hand and would not have to leave the club decimated of signed players. Claiming another unwanted record.
Alcarez was the only decent player out of many we had on loan.
The couple of signings you can mentioned are much outweighed by the many terrible ones.
It is opinion of course regarding good or bad. But Chermiti and Tim. Seriously !! We were in a position where we needed players able to cope with the premiership. They were just two of the bunch that neither Dyche or Moyes ever start or on the odd occasion they did they were flops.
Last January he failed again to sign a striker or any player really capable of scoring.
Lack of pace and passing ability is a hallmark of this (his) team.
But if you guys think that is a job well done then we are at opposite ends of the blue spectrum.
Danny O’Neill
58 Posted
12/06/2025 at
10:31:27
What is your opinion on the players we watch week in week out?
Dave Abrahams
59 Posted
12/06/2025 at
10:36:32
Martin (57) On another thread you are dismissing Everton signing two players because they would cost too much and we cant afford them with the limited amount of money available this close season—— dont you think that was what Thelwell had to put up with and a lot less money to spend—— if any?
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