WEST HAM are finalising the exit of technical director Tim Steidten.
The German, who has clashed with two of the three Hammers managers he worked with, has been frozen out of the club’s January business.
Steidten, 45, was banned from the club’s Rush Green training ground by former boss Julen Lopetegui in December.
He was also barred from the first team changing room at the London Stadium by ex-gaffer David Moyes.
It would seem he fell out with both managers because he was openly working on their replacements while they were still in the dugout.
Chairman David Sullivan took more control of transfer business this month after being concerned by the level of signings in the summer when £127.5million was spent with little impact.
There have been eyebrows raised over deals for Luis Guilherme, Guido Rodriguez and Niclas Fullkrug.
Fullkrug arrived on a four-year-deal for £27.5m from Borussia Dortmund but will miss six months of his first season at the club due to injury.
Teenage winger Guilherme was signed for an initial £20m from Palmeiras but has played just 50 minutes of football for West Ham and talks have already been held over selling him to Saudi Arabia.
Steidten was involved in the early stages of Graham Potter’s appointment, but vice-chair Karren Brady took charge to agreed the deal.
The ex-Chelsea boss has also moved to bring in his long-term recruitment expert, Kyle Macaulay, from Stamford Bridge.
Macaulay started this week as the club’s new head of recruitment, effectively replacing Rob Newman who left that post in the summer.
Potter insisted that Macaulay’s arrival would not impact Steidten’s position, but it has long been expected that the German would leave the London Stadium this year.
Moyes and Steidten clashed over recruitment policy, with the Scot preferring targets with Premier League experience over the options the technical director proposed.
Steidten has landed some key signings for the Hammers, including Mohammed Kudus from Ajax, but often rubbed colleagues up the wrong way by posing for pictures with new signings on private jets.
While Sullivan and Brady are taking an active involvement in any deals this month, Potter will have significant influence and Macaulay’s arrival backs that up.
The two have worked together since Potter’s days at Ostersunds and during his spells at Swansea, Brighton and then Chelsea.
Potter said: “Kyle’s in. Kyle’s been part of my staff for the last ten, however many years I’ve been coaching since Sweden.
“I know him well and he knows me well. It’s a good link between the coach and the club in terms of recruitment.
“In terms of the hours and depths of conversations that you have to have around recruitment.
“It’s easier to have with Kyle than it is for me because clearly I’m on the pitch and I’m working with the 20-odd players that we’ve got here.
“I’m really happy with that appointment. It’s something that was always going to happen. It was just a case of when. I’m obviously delighted he’s here.”
Steidten arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023 having previously worked at Werder Bremen.
It is not clear at this stage whether West Ham will look to appoint another technical director in the near future.
The Hammers have won just seven of their 22 games this season.
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