Hammers technical director Tim Steidten has moved to a new location as West Ham look to tie up six more deals in the window.
Tim Steidten is a man on a mission this summer for West Ham.
The Hammers technical director was involved in the discussions and decision to appoint Julen Lopetegui as West Ham’s new head coach.
He then had to quickly turn his attention to the club’s major rebuild after West Ham were left with just 17 senior players and the second oldest squad in the Premier League.
Brazil was Steidten’s first port of call for summer business.
As most fans will know, Steidten spent a lot of time in the last two windows – his first with the Hammers- in Brazil laying foundations with various clubs.
When he headed back there at the end of last season, Steidten tried to get deals done for Corinthians winger Wesley Gassova and Flamengo defender Fabricio Bruno.
Where next for globetrotting Steidten on transfer mission?
The move for Wesley hit a brick wall while the Bruno move collapsed late in the day having looked all but done.
Steidten had returned to the UK at that point believing the move was sealed.
The German then flew back to Brazil to try and rescue the move but Bruno’s mind was made up.
While there he turned his attentions to getting a deal done to bring 18-year-old attacker Luis Guilherme to West Ham from Palmeiras.
That became slightly protracted but Steidten got it over the line for an initial £20m – with a further £5m in possible add-ons.
Back in London, Steidten sewed up the club’s impending second signing of a planned eight-player overhaul.
Steidten moves to a new location as six targeted
And arguably the least exciting in the shape of veteran goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, who will join as a free agent on July 1.
Foderingham comes in as third choice back-up for Alphonse Areola and Lukasz Fabianski while ticking a homegrown player box for the Hammers.
So where next for West Ham’s globe-trotting technical director in search of signings? Well now we know.
Steidten has moved to a new location as West Ham look to tie up six more deals.
West Ham insider Sean Whetstone has delivered an update on the recruitment chief’s whereabouts.
And it is very interesting indeed regarding potential new signings.
Because he is now back in his homeland Germany actively watching players at the Euros to sign for West Ham.
“West Ham United Technical director Tim Steidten is no longer in Brazil and is now thought to be back home in his native Germany watching Euros 2024 games in person while he continues his search for reinforcements for West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui,” Whetstone said.
This is interesting because very few of the targets being consistently linked with West Ham of late are participating in the Euros.
Jota Silva isn’t in the Portugal squad for example.
Only four of a plethora of targets linked recently are at the Euros in the shape of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori, Belgium centre-back Zeno Debast, France midfielder Youssouf Fofana and Spain attacker Ferran Torres.
Steidten has no time to waste this summer.
So it would suggest that quartet – or other players at the Euros whose names have not yet made their way into the media – are being looked at.
It comes after West Ham told Hammers News: “Max Kilman is one of a number of players we are bidding for.”
West Ham want two new centre-backs, a full-back, a central midfielder, attacking left-sided player and a striker in addition to Guilherme and Foderingham.
It was claimed by a respected source at the weekend that the Hammers want four of their six signings done in time for the second week of July when pre-season training begins.