So, it looks like it will be Nils Koppen – rather than Steve Nickson – who answers West Ham United’s director of football call.
According to reports which emerged on Friday morning, the Hammers are in talks to appoint Koppen in what will be one of the first major moves of the post-David Sullivan era at the London Stadium.
The Standard insists that there is no agreement yet between the parties.
But as discussions with departing Newcastle chief Steve Nickson hit the buffers, a man CEO Karim Virani worked with north of the border at Rangers now appears to have moved into pole position.
Nils Koppen helped build PSV’s title-winning squad! What do you want from him at West Ham?
But what can we glean from Koppen’s time working as a scout or technical director at Rangers, PSV Eindhoven and KRC Genk?
Well, if relegation increases the need for West Ham United to prioritise young, affordable talent, Koppen’s track record – particularly at the reigning Eredivisie champions – bodes fairly well.
West Ham United-linked Nils Koppen helped PSV Eindhoven dominate the Eredivisie
While currently the technical director at Copenhagen, Koppen spent six years at PSV from 2018 to 2024. Moving from his initial role as a youth scout to the club’s Head of Scouting, the 41-year-old Dutchman helped construct a side who would go on to win a trio of league titles a few seasons later.
Interestingly, Hammers News can confirm that West Ham showed an interest in PSV’s Ismail Saibari ahead of the previous January transfer window. Needless to say, after he scored three times in three World Cup matches for Morocco, that ship has sailed.
Saibari is set to join Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for upwards of £52 million.
Saibari will therefore become the latest Koppen-era signing to leave the Philips Stadium for a colossal profit.
During his brief spell as Rangers’ technical director in 2024, Koppen explained to Rangers Review how he brought Saibari over to the Netherlands from his former employers Genk. Now of RB Leipzig, jet-heeled winger Johan Bakayoko would make a similar journey; from Anderlecht to PSV.
Koppen signed the teenage duo for £200,000. Once Saibari’s move to Munich is finalised, PSV will have sold the two for a combined £70 million-plus.
“My first role at PSV was recruiting players between the academy and first-team, specifically scouting younger players,” Koppen explained. “I joined PSV as a scout responsible for Belgium and academy players in France.
“Johan Bakayoko was signed as an academy player by PSV from my region in Belgium. Ismael Saibari too. They’re both examples I discussed during my interview process at Rangers and that was part of the remit when I was hired; to attract and identify young talents like these two examples, bring them to the club and get them in the first-team right away.
“The club were looking for someone with experience of that pattern.”
One suspects that this is a major reason why West Ham are now considering a move to bring Koppen to the London Stadium.
Koppen delved into some lesser-seen markets at Rangers
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Other highly-rated youngsters to join PSV on his watch included Xavi Simons – now a £60 million Tottenham playmaker – Man City winger Savinho and Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, while Sergino Dest was snapped up for free four years after a £21 million move to Barcelona.
With money tight at Rangers, Koppen spoke of the need to ‘be more creative, think outside the box, and look all over the globe to get the best talents’.
The £1.7 million signing of Hamza Igamane was his crown jewel at Ibrox; brought in from Morocco as an unknown and sold on to Lille after one year and 16 goals.
Other deals were less successful but, bringing in talents from Brazil and Denmark, he was certainly true to his word.
“He has a good track record in PSV bringing players in who are not too expensive,” former Rangers coach Philippe Clement said following Koppen’s unveiling in Glasgow, before making a point that could very easily be used to describe West Ham in their current predicament without the lure of Premier League football.
“That is a reality in this club, we are not the one with the most money in the world and can buy whoever we want. We are fishing in not the best pool. We need to get the best fish out of that and as fast as possible. [Koppen] is the right guy to guide that process.”
So, what can West Ham expect should Koppen be appointed as the first director of football of the new, Daniel Kretinsky-led regime?
Well, probably some lesser-known bargains from the blue. And almost certainly a couple of rising stars with big futures ahead of them.
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