West Ham United's technical director Tim Steidten is preparing to depart the club after a tumultuous tenure marked by significant transfers and challenging relationships with management, sources close to the situation confirm.
The German administrator, who joined the club in the summer of 2023 and was hailed as "one of the game's most-admired football administrators," brought extensive experience from his previous roles at Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen. During his brief but impactful stint, Steidten oversaw several notable signings, including Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez, and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
His tenure at West Ham was notably marked by strained relationships with both former manager David Moyes and his successor, Julen Lopetegui. The tension became particularly evident in May 2024 when Steidten was barred from entering the club's first-team dressing rooms at both Rush Green and the London Stadium amid uncertainty over the club's managerial direction.
The subsequent transfer window saw an ambitious recruitment drive, with the club securing players like Max Kilman, Crysencio Summerville, Carlos Soler, and several other high-profile signings. However, behind the scenes, the relationship between Steidten and then-manager Lopetegui deteriorated to the point where Steidten began exploring replacement options by the turn of the year.
The situation reached a critical point in mid-December when Steidten notably distanced himself from the training ground. While the club attributed this absence to his focus on the transfer window, it coincided with growing tensions as Lopetegui prioritized improving match results. Lopetegui's tenure would prove to be the shortest of any permanent head coach in West Ham's history, lasting just 22 games before his dismissal in January.
The appointment of Graham Potter as manager has brought new dynamics to the club's technical structure. Potter has been joined by his long-term head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay, who is now handling inquiries previously directed to Steidten. This transition marks the end of Steidten's brief but eventful chapter at West Ham, with the terms of his departure currently being finalized.
Prior to Potter's appointment, the club had also engaged in talks with Sporting CP head coach Ruben Amorim, who later described his London meeting with club representatives as a "mistake," adding another layer to the complex narrative of West Ham's recent management transitions.
