What Nick Hammond decision tells us about Everton’s recruitment plans

Everton have opted for continuity in their recruitment operation by retaining head of player trading Nick Hammond until at least the end of next summer.

The Bobble reported on Wednesday evening that Hammond has agreed a new deal with the club, keeping one of the key figures in Everton’s post-Kevin Thelwell structure in place for the next two transfer windows. The decision comes before an important January window and amid uncertainty over The Friedkin Group’s ownership.

Hammond remains part of Everton’s new structure

Hammond joined Everton in June 2025 when the club moved away from having a single director of football following Thelwell’s departure.

Rather than directly replacing Thelwell, Everton divided responsibilities between several senior figures. Hammond was appointed to lead player trading, alongside technical director Nick Cox, director of scouting and recruitment James Smith and football strategy and analytics chief Chris Howarth.

David Moyes retains the final say on transfers. Keeping Hammond, therefore, maintains some stability within a recruitment structure that has been in place for little more than a year.

The length of his new agreement is also interesting. It takes Hammond through the January and summer transfer windows without tying Everton to a lengthy commitment, should the club’s ownership change. TFG announced last week that it was exploring new investment options, including the potential sale of its controlling interest in Everton.

Hammond and the wider recruitment team will also be under pressure to improve on the end of the summer window, when Iliman Ndiaye and Beto departed without another striker arriving. Everton have already been linked with potential attacking targets for January, including Bayer Leverkusen’s Christian Kofane and Rennes striker Esteban Lepaul.

Hammond’s new deal means the existing recruitment team remains in place to handle both January and next summer, regardless of how the ownership process develops in the coming months.

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