talkSPORT and Sky Sports journalist Jim White has claimed that Celtic are on the brink of appointing their new director of football.
Talking on the Jim White Show (talkSPORT, Wednesday, 12.19pm), the host said, “Breaking news. It is my understanding that Nicky Hammond, former director of football at Reading and West Brom technical director, is close to being appointed as Celtic’s new director of football.”
Hammond joined Reading in 2000 as their youth academy director, before becoming their director of football in 2003.
He moved onto West Brom as technical director in April 2016, before being sacked last year, and could now be on the brink of a high-profile move to the Scottish champions.
OPINION
Celtic need to get this right. Lee Congerton came in for some severe criticism from Celtic fans last season, with supporters blaming him for a very poor summer of business. He was described by the Herald as a “flop” as he moved on to join former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers at Leicester and claimed fans would be delighted to see him leave. That was at the beginning of May, when Celtic said they would hire a replacement as soon as possible. Getting transfers right this summer at Celtic is crucial, with a new manager, a squad overhaul needed and rivals Rangers breathing down their neck. At the Hawthorns, Hammond was responsible for big-money deals for Nacer Chadli, Jay Rodriguez and Oliver Burke, with the latter spending the second half of last season on loan at Celtic. He’s an experienced figure, will come with a big book of contacts, but he will be plunged into the deep end at Celtic this summer if he signs as expected.