West Ham are finalising the departure of their technical director, Tim Steidten, after freezing him out of their transfer plans. Steidten arrived at the club in the summer of 2023 and was soon playing a key role in the transfer market. But the 45-year-old German has been under growing pressure because of a series of questionable signings.
Steidten’s power has been stripped away this month – the board decided this week to restrict his access to internal systems – and the arrival of Kyle Macaulay as West Ham’s new recruitment analyst was seen as another sign of impending change. Macaulay is a key ally of West Ham’s new manager, Graham Potter, and got to work on Thursday after joining from Chelsea. His appointment is expected to see Potter accelerate his transfer plans this month. Macaulay, who is highly respected within the game, could take over as head of recruitment.
The Guardian reported this month that Steidten was likely to leave following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui as manager. It was seen as indicative that he was pushed to the margins when key negotiations began with Potter. West Ham’s vice-chair, Karren Brady, finalised the deal.
Uneasy relationships with managers have been a feature of Steidten’s time at West Ham. He did not see eye to eye with David Moyes, who barred him from the first-team dressing room last season, and is understood to have been banned from the training ground by Lopetegui. Max Hahn, one of West Ham’s analysts, has taken on more responsibility for signings this month.
