There has been one big question on the lips of fans since West Ham parted company with technical director Tim Steidten.
Will West Ham be replacing the German ‘pearl diver’ in the new setup?
West Ham officially announced Tim Steidten has left the club following the closure of the winter transfer window.
Hammers fans knew that was the case weeks ago after Steidten returned to Germany after having his access to club premises and computer systems revoked.
Demoted ahead of the window as David Sullivan took back control of transfer deals, Julen Lopetegui was sacked and the German soon followed.
Reports have emerged claiming Steidten feels ‘relieved’ to be leaving the club.
Steidten went from hero to villain and back again in the space of just 18 months.
While it was not all his doing, Steidten promised to rebuild West Ham around young, exciting, versatile stars.
But he left West Ham with the oldest squad in the Premier League.
West Ham identify replacements for Steidten
A number of his signings in the summer’s £155m splurge – and the likes of Konstantinos Mavropanos – have been criticised.
Although the jury remains out on several others before judgement can be cast.
After just one transfer window in “full control” of West Ham’s dealings, Steidten is gone.
In has come after the appointment of Graham Potter’s new head of recruitment Kyle Macauley.
The Hammers paid Chelsea £1.2m to reunite Macauley with Potter with the pair having worked together at all of the new manager’s clubs.
When Potter arrived and with Steidten on the brink, Hammers News suggested West Ham should bring Dan Ashworth to the London Stadium.
Sporting director Ashworth worked with Potter and Macauley at Brighton.
He has since helped drive Newcastle’s rise before being poached by Man United.
That did not last long, though, and Ashworth is available to take another job after leaving Old Trafford.
Now West Ham have identified replacements for Steidten but Sullivan faces a big decision.
Many fans believe the Hammers have already seen the impact of Steidten’s departure in a quiet January window.
Sullivan faces big decision over West Ham appointment
Whatever the stance on Steidten, there is no denying the German got deals done.
West Ham only signed Evan Ferguson on loan from Brighton in the winter window.
Although Potter insists he did have the board’s full support and resisted signing players for the sake of it.
Now according to Telegraph journalist Matt Law, West Ham are indeed considering replacing Steidten.
The club has even identified potential candidates from across England and Europe.
But majority owner Sullivan now has to decide whether he wants a new technical director to take over many of Steidten’s responsibilities as part of the structure for the Potter era.
It has been revealed that sporting director Mark Noble has already been tasked with signing a striker for the summer.
According to Law, Mark Noble’s presence and the addition of recruitment guru Macauley means Sullivan is in no rush to make a decision on replacing Steidten.
But while Macauley is a talent identifier, Sullivan must decide whether he wants someone focusing on actually doing the deals to sign players targeted by Potter and his recruitment right-hand man.
Noble and Macauley buy Hammers time but deal-maker needed
Law reports the club has considered the possibility of appointing a director of football ‘at some stage’, having already identified potential targets based in England and overseas.
But he states West Ham are not committed to doing so just yet.
This week West Ham said they are already focused on deals for the summer window.
Meanwhile Steidten and his brother Moritz, who has also left his scouting role at West Ham, are thought to have been on a package worth up to £1m per year between them.
That’s according to board insider Sean Whetstone, who revealed West Ham could opt to continue paying both their combined £83,000 per month rather than a lump sum, in the hope they will save some money if they find employment elsewhere.
“Often staff on fixed contracts are retained on the payroll after their departure in the hope they find another similar role in football which would minimise the compensation paid by the club,” Whetstone said.
“That would cost the Hammers around £83,000 per month until the pair can find employment at the same salary or greater with West Ham paying the difference if they found employment at a lesser salary.”
While West Ham mull the decision whether to replace him, here’s all 15 of Steidten’s West Ham signing rated.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
