Leeds United have confirmed this week that Nick Hammond has stayed on as transfer consultant until the end of next summer, after working with the club since relegation.
The 49ers have done a marvellous job in terms of steadying the ship at Elland Road, having to deal with what was frankly a mess left for them by Andrea Radrizzani.
Getting the important appointments right has been the key thing to get them up and running with Leeds, which meant that a troublesome summer was actually a fruitful one.
Nick Hammond joined the club as interim football advisor in the summer, and did a strong job in helping the club navigate a challenging transfer window.
In the process, it’s fair to say that Leeds’ current squad in the Championship actually boasts more quality from top to bottom than the side that were relegated under Sam Allardyce in May.
The fact that this is only a rolling agreement to keep Hammond on for the near future indicates that it’s not a long-term plan to have him here.
However, for the time being, we cannot complain about this move at all from the club, given the work that he and the rest of the board have done since taking over.
Leeds’ summer transfers were shrewd across the board, improving in virtually every area that needed focus, and doing so with the right blend of youth and experience, as well as adding quality that is above the Championship in some parts.
Should Hammond be able to orchestrate a January and summer in 2024 that are similar, then we are certainly onto a winner.