Exclusive: West Ham have responded to a shock claim being made about Tim Steidten amid a difficult week on the transfer front.
Football can be a fickle industry at the best of times never mind when the going gets tough.
If West Ham technical director Tim Steidten didn’t already know that then he’s finding out pretty quickly at the moment.
Most West Ham fans feel extremely fortunate to have Steidten heading up the club’s transfers and recruitment.
Having someone qualified with worldwide connections in that role was long overdue at West Ham.
Mark Noble quickly realised he was not cut out for that position just a few months into his job as sporting director.
Football at its fickle worst
Six months later Hammers majority owner David Sullivan brought in Steidten following his departure from Bayer Leverkusen in search of a new challenge.
The German impressed everyone last summer when he signed Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez from Ajax for a bargain £72m combined.
He was hamstrung by David Moyes’ reluctance to do deals in January and – ultimately – the Scot’s power of veto on all transfers, which was written into his contract.
With Moyes out of the picture, Steidten has spoken of his ‘euphoria’ about having ‘full control’ from this summer.
West Ham respond to shock claim about Steidten
Steidten has been in Brazil for the last week or so trying to bring new players in for head coach Julen Lopetegui.
Time is of the essence for West Ham with as many as eight new arrivals needed this summer.
But things have not been going well so far. First a move for Corinthians winger Wesley Gassova collapsed.
Then the same fate befell a move for Flamengo defender Fabricio Bruno.
Now a move for Palmeiras midfield star Luis Guilherme is reportedly going the same way.
Yesterday we reported on claims from Mirror journalist James Nursey that Steidten was under pressure at West Ham in the wake of the Brazilian deals hitting the skids.
Nursey stated that Steidten needed the Guilherme deal to go through or he would ‘face questions’.
Since then it has been claimed the Guilherme deal has collapsed after Saudi clubs drove up the price and the wage demands.
So Hammers News has spoken to the top contact inside the club for clarity.
And West Ham have responded to the shock claim being made about Steidten.
The response, as you can see, is pretty emphatic.
‘It’s not his fault’
“Rubbish to say Tim is under pressure and facing questions,” West Ham’s top spokesman exclusively told Hammers News regarding the potential collapse of the Guilherme and other Brazilian deals.
“It is not his fault that Saudi is offering twice the wages tax free.”
This is great to hear from West Ham.
The fact the Hammers have fended off interest from the likes of Newcastle and Liverpool for Steidten tells you everything.
Those still unconvinced need to take just one look at what he did at Bayer Leverkusen.
That in itself suggests West Ham very much have the right man in place to help them rebuild.
Then there is the first hand evidence of the players he has already brought in at West Ham despite working with one hand tied behind his back alongside Moyes.
It should also be noted that it is not Steidten’s fault the Hammers find themselves in the rather desperate situation of needing a complete rebuild this summer.
Moyes wanted a small squad and Lopetegui has inherited a bit of a mess in that respect.
Steidten has already stated he sees this as a five-year project. So to give up on him after three doomed deals would be lunacy.
Steidten has the full backing of the West Ham board.
And although he is under pressure to make progress on deals given the sheer volume of signings needed, his track record suggests West Ham are in the best possible hands.