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Paraag Marathe confirms Leeds United extension for influential Elland Road figure as Adam Pope reacts to 'big thing' move
Nick Hammond will be remaining at Leeds United until after next summer, 49ers Enterprises president Paraag Marathe has confirmed.
Speaking on Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet on 13 November Simon Rix relayed what the Whites chairman had revealed in the Q&A last week, that the influential behind the scenes figure will now remain at Elland Road for the next two transfer windows.
Phil Hay of The Athletic had previously suggested that the club planned to keep both Hammond, who had originally been appointed on a temporary contract amid the chaos of last summer, and Gary Penrice for that extended period, and it appears that is now locked in.
Rix said of the Marathe discussion (19m 15s): “The only piece of information that I really gleaned was that Nick Hammond was going to be there until after the summer window. They’re really impressed with what he’s done.”
Adam Pope reacted to say: “Yeah that’s a big thing that.” Jonny Buchan agreed: “Yeah that’s smart isn’t it? That’s a smart move.”
Sorted
Given how the summer transfer window ultimately worked out very positively from a place of disarray, even with turbulence continuing right up past the deadline with Luis Sinisterra, it is an obvious move to extend Hammond.
If the January window sees Leeds United avoid any damaging departures, and potentially adds a final piece or two to the squad for Daniel Farke, then there is every reason to feel that the Whites will be back in the Premier League next season.
Should they succeed in securing that key objective then next summer’s transfer market might turn out to be even more crucial than the one just gone.
It is presumably not out of the question that Hammond ends up being kept on even longer after that if the relationship continues so positively.
When he arrived to oversee transfer matters, at a point when only Angus Kinnear appeared to be manning the fort amid delays in the 49ers’ takeover from Andrea Radrizzani, it was a relatively unheralded move.
But it seems that the former Celtic and Newcastle man has played a very influential part behind the scenes at Elland Road to help lay the foundations for an assault on promotion.
That cannot be underestimated when there was such far-reaching uncertainty in the wake of relegation, as the ownership, the manager, and the squad needed answers, so his continued association with the club should be a positive development.
In other Leeds United news, a “good value” permanent exit is now increasingly likely according to Phil Hay.