West Ham are already ruffling feathers in the Championship as they move to poach a key man from their promotion rivals in the first step towards a promised restructure – but it may be one in, one out.
Hammers fans have been protesting for wholesale changes from top to bottom at the club all season long.
While there are a plethora of reasons West Ham now find themselves preparing to play in the Championship for the first time in 14 years, recruitment is highlighted as a major cause.
Supporters have been pushing the club’s owners to overhaul every aspect of how the club is run and who runs it.
One top brain in and one out in West Ham restructure
Interim CEO Karim Virani has come in and made a positive impression as the replacement for Karren Brady.
Now West Ham look set to poach a key man from one of their main promotion rivals in the first step of the club’s restructure – but the club will also lose a top talent.
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The Hammers have flitted between different recruitment setups in the last 16 years under David Sullivan and the Gold family.
There have been directors of football such as Mario Husillos and Tim Steidten with Sullivan the de facto for that role in between.
Then there have been heads of recruitment such as Rob Newman and Kyle Macaulay.
While West Ham have not always got it wrong in the transfer market, their record has been very hit and miss down the years.
And more misses than hits in recent seasons has seen the club relegated.
Now fans lobbying for change look set to get their wish, although there is some bad news too.
West Ham ‘confident’ of poaching Scott from Middlesbrough but Hahn to depart
Because West Ham are closing in on taking Middlesbrough’s head of football Kieran Scott to east London.
Journalist and Middlesbrough fan Graeme Bailey was the first to reveal West Ham’s interest in Scott.
A number of outlets have repeated that fact.
Now Hammers News understands West Ham are confident of landing Scott as part of their restructure following confirmation Nuno Espirito Santo convinced the West Ham board he should stay.
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Middlesbrough's Kieran Scott has been linked…
Scott has been a huge hit on Teeside since joining in 2021 from Norwich.
But Hammers News understands Scott has given the club indications he is open to the switch and sees it as the next step up in his career.
After missing out on promotion last season, Middlesbrough are fancied to be one of West Ham’s main rivals in the fight at the top of the table next term.
While Scott would be something of a coup for the Hammers, it looks set to be a case of one top brain in and another out in the club’s recruitment department.
Because highly regarded Hammers scout Max Hahn looks set to leave the club.
Hahn was brought to West Ham by ex-technical director Steidten in 2024 as Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis.
Hahn is active on social media and has often given clues as to his influence on transfers when he reposts West Ham’s announcements of certain signings.
The data-driven recruitment specialist has impressed so much at West Ham he was retained after Steidten was sacked.
Since then several German sides, including Schalke, have looked at Hahn as someone who could step into a Sporting Director role while other Championship clubs such as Southampton and Blackburn Rovers have also been credited with an interest in the past.
In an exclusive on his West Ham Way Patreon, ExWHUemployee claims Hahn has decided he will be leaving the club in the near future amid ‘a number of changes coming’ to the staff behind the scenes.
Hahn is said to be looking for ‘other roles in the football world’.
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