Lid lifted on West Ham United’s not-so-secret scouting mission to watch three top stars in pulsating derby.
With the January transfer window just around the corner and Tim Steidten overseeing recruitment, it’s no surprise the West Ham rumour mill is already whirring.
The Hammers are widely regarded to have had one of the best summer windows in the Premier League with Steidten and David Moyes bringing in Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
But West Ham have a host of players out of contract at the end of the season.
So new additions will be needed with a big shift in recruitment policy to younger talent under ‘pearl diver’ Steidten.
West Ham’s not-so-secret scouting mission
But if West Ham’s German technical director is looking to go about his business quietly, he’ll have a tough task on his hands.
Because the lid has been lifted on West Ham’s not-so-secret scouting mission to watch three top stars in a pulsating derby.
Sporting and Benfica played out a feisty Derby de Lisboa at the weekend with the latter winning 2-1 against the 10-man hosts with two goals in the last three of seven minutes time added on.
Outlet 90min has claimed West Ham had scouts at the game to watch Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio and Benfica duo Joao Neves and Antonio Silva.
New Hammers recruitment model in operation
The problem for Steidten and West Ham is that all of the Premier League’s so-called elite also had scouts in attendance at the game according to the report.
Ordinarily that would render any West Ham interest futile.
But Steidten has already proved he can be the difference maker in snaring players who are of interest to top clubs with the signings of Kudus and Alvarez.
West Ham’s attendance at the game to watch top young talent such as Inacio, Neves and Silva are evidence of the Hammers recruitment model as Steidten gets down to work.
Interestingly, a player heavily linked with West Ham in the summer – striker Viktor Gyokeres – got Sporting’s goal.
One thing is for sure, West Ham’s transfer windows will be far from boring with the German pulling the strings it seems.
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