West Ham technical director Tim Steidten is coming under increasing pressure following the underwhelming performances of the club’s summer signings, sources have told Football Insider.
On the latest episode of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke reported that both Steidten and manager Julen Lopetegui are feeling the heat after a slow start to the Premier League season.
Despite the club’s significant investment in the transfer window, several of the new arrivals have struggled to make a meaningful impact in the first team.
West Ham’s board backed Lopetegui heavily during the summer, spending £132.5 million to bring in fresh talent. Among the big-name signings was Max Kilman, acquired for £40 million, in the hopes of solidifying the defence.
Yet, early results have left many questioning the recruitment strategy at the London Stadium, particularly as the team has managed just four points from their opening five games.
Despite this shaky start, Football Insider reported on 21 September that the club’s decision-makers still have confidence in Lopetegui and believe that, once the new players have fully adapted, the team will begin to find its rhythm.
The prevailing sentiment is that the signings need more time to integrate with the manager’s system before any firm judgments are made about their success or failure.
It is understood that the board is willing to be patient and allow time for the squad to gel, rather than making hasty decisions about the manager or the new recruits. However, the pressure on both Lopetegui and Steidten is steadily increasing.
According to Football Insider’s report on 24 September, Steidten’s role has come under particular scrutiny, with the club’s hierarchy questioning his influence over the squad overhaul.
Tasked with reshaping the team after David Moyes’ departure, Steidten oversaw the recruitment of Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka to bolster the defence, while Guido Rodriguez was brought in to add steel to the midfield.
In attack, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme, and Niclas Fullkrug were signed to sharpen West Ham’s forward line. However, none of these signings have hit the ground running, and doubts are starting to surface about whether the overhaul was too drastic, too soon.
In the meantime, key players from Moyes’ era, such as Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd, were allowed to leave the club to make room for the new faces.
With results not improving and the new signings struggling to adapt, the pressure on Steidten is mounting, and the board is beginning to ask tough questions about the club’s direction under his leadership.