West Ham’s new head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay has made a seismic demand that will be alien to David Sullivan and West Ham fans ‘know how it ends’.
West Ham have been linked with a number of replacements for Tim Steidten.
The technical director was sent packing just six months after being handed full control of West Ham’s recruitment.
The Hammers board were deeply unhappy with the way he spent £155m and it was agreed the German would leave just 18 months into what he stated would be a five-year project.
When Graham Potter agreed to take over from Julen Lopetegui, it was on the condition that West Ham would bring Kyle Macaulay in from Chelsea.
The owners duly paid Chelsea £1.2m for Macaulay, who was appointed as West Ham’s head of recruitment.
There is a distinct difference between Macaulay and Steidten, though.
West Ham’s new recruitment structure won’t change this summer
While both are heavily involved in identifying talent, Steidten is also a deal-maker. And a good one at that.
Whatever one may think of Steidten’s signings, he did have an excellent track record of actually getting deals over the line.
That is something which hasn’t always been the case for West Ham.
With Macaulay on board, David Sullivan has reprised his role as a director of football of sorts.
Essentially Sullivan will now be the deal maker and will work together with Macaulay and Potter on signings.
Many fans feel the club still needs someone in the technical director role. Especially ahead of such an important transfer window.
The likes of Dan Ashworth have been linked as a replacement for Steidten in recent months.
But West Ham’s owners have insisted they are a ‘very happy ship’ in their current structure.
Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell announced he is leaving the club this week.
That saw many Hammers fans urging the club to bring him in.
However, West Ham responded emphatically ruling out Mitchell or anyone else being hired.
So it will be Potter and Macaulay working alongside Sullivan on arguably the most important summer transfer window in years for the Hammers.
West Ham have three months, starting on Sunday June 1, to revamp the Premier League’s oldest squad in line with Potter’s vision.
Players need to be sold in order to buy too – meaning there is a lot of work to be done.
Macaulay makes seismic demand of Sullivan over transfers
Now Macaulay has made a seismic demand of Sullivan and West Ham fans ‘know how it ends’.
According to Claret and Hugh’s Sean Whetstone, who counts Sullivan among his close contacts, Macaulay wants to recruit this summer without using football agents.
It is well known that Sullivan is close with agents such as Will Salthouse and Barry Silkman, often using them to identify and sign players.
That has been a major source of criticism from fans, who feel the club should be going after players to fit the club’s system and ethos rather than those who are available or connected with a certain agent.
Whetstone states that Sullivan has ‘long relied on agents to provide suggestions of players who are available’.
But he claims Macaulay now wants to move away from that model and use a data-driven recruitment strategy similar to that devised at Brighton and Brentford.
While most West Ham fans would welcome that change in policy, Whetstone has explained the strategy could be ‘high-risk’.
West Ham fans ‘know how it ends’ with Macaulay and Sullivan
“They will need to keep agents on side while pursuing their new model or risk a backlash from those who effectively control the game,” Whetstone said.
As news emerges of Macaulay telling Sullivan he wants to move away from agents and start using data, Hammers supporters fear the outcome is now inevitable.
That being Macaulay ending up on the scrapheap and blamed for any failings.
“Can’t wait to see him get painted as a villain by Sullivan and get sacked,” one West Ham fan said in response to the news.
Another Hammers fan added: “I’d be surprised if both of them (Potter and Macaulay) manage to survive until next off-season.”
“100% it’s happening,” a West Ham fan agreed.
“Won’t end well this!!” said another.
One West Ham fan then asked how Macaulay’s approach would work – but ended up answering his own question.
“Take me through this, player X meets the numbers, stats, performance levels and we want him. He has an agent and his club want £80m. What happens?”
To which a fellow Hammer explained he had made Macaulay’s point for him.
“Do you see how the player was identified before the agent comes into play? Nobody is saying they won’t have to talk to negotiators.”
“Good luck with that one, scapegoat incoming,” one West Ham fan said of Macaulay’s plan along with laughing emojis.
Another Hammer added: “He’s in for a shock.”
One West Ham fan said Macaulay should be allowed to do as he pleases because the club’s recruitment is at rock bottom.
“Let him do what he wants our recruitment literally cannot get worse,” the fan said.
Hammers fans fear Macaulay will become sacked scapegoat
One supporter can’t see Sullivan agreeing to the shift from agent to data-driven deals.
“He wants to, doesn’t mean he’ll be allowed to. Sullivan loves agents, what he didn’t realise is the agents only get paid when the player signs a new deal or transfers, their incentives are moving them on. Macaulay is right but can’t see Sullivan allowing it to happen.”
One fan suggests Macaulay has the right idea at the wrong club.
“He shouldn’t have taken the job then. This guy is doomed for as long as as Sullivan is involved.”
A fellow Hammer believes it won’t end well for West Ham’s new head of recruitment.
“Another one that will be thrown under the bus,” he said.
“His days at the club are numbered,” said another.
Another supporter hopes Sullivan gives the change his backing, saying: “Makes sense really considering our lack of funds hopefully he can find some gems in the lower leagues and abroad.”
One West Ham fan suggested the plan will have agents like Salthouse ‘screaming into their pillows as we speak’.
Another feels the writing is already on the wall for Macaulay, saying: “Breaking: Kyle Macaulay has been released by West Ham United.”
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