Premier League club brutally sack transfer chief HOURS after Deadline Day

West Ham have confirmed the departure of recruitment chief Tim Steidten less than 12 hours after the January transfer window closed. The Hammers, who lost 2-1 to Chelsea on Monday night, have said the German is leaving to pursue new opportunities after new head coach Graham Potter brought in his own transfer specialist, Kyle Macaulay. Chairman David Sullivan had also been taking on a more hands-on approach during the January transfer window, in which the club welcomed in Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton.

"West Ham United Football Club can confirm that technical director Tim Steidten will be leaving the club. Tim has been instrumental in our recruitment efforts. "With the arrival of our new head coach Graham Potter, who has brought in his own head of recruitment, it is time for Tim to pursue new opportunities. We would like to thank Tim for his dedication and hard work and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.".

Steidten arrived in East London in 2023 after successful spells at Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen. West Ham spent close to £250m on new players during his time at the club. But he also fell out with Potter's predecessors Julen Lopetegui and David Moyes, with a number of his signings struggling to make an impact. Moyes banned him from the club's training ground during the end of last season and he was also asked to stay away in the final weeks of Lopetegui's brief reign - although that was denied at the time.

When Lopetegui was sacked at the beginning of January it appeared that time was also up for Steidten and Potter's arrival effectively sidelining him. Owner Sullivan increased his involvement again and Potter's long-time lieutenant Macaulay is now overseeing matters. Potter endured an unlucky return to Stamford Bridge on Monday with captain Jarrod Bowen putting them in front at half-time only for Pedro Neto to level following a lengthy and debatable VAR check before Aaron Wan-Bissaka deflected a Cole Palmer shot into his own net.

That result leaves West Ham 15th in the table but with a significant gap to the bottom three. Potter will be given the rest of the campaign to evaluate his squad with the expectation of a renewed push into the top half next season. Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.