The truth behind Liverpool's pursuit of West Ham transfer guru

Stuart Telford

• 25 Feb 2024 10:42 GMT
• 3 min read

Liverpool have been linked with a move for West Ham director Tim Steidten, with Jorg Schmadtke leaving the club in light of Jurgen Klopp's decision to step down as manager at the end of the season.

Klopp will bring the curtain down on a glittering nine year spell at Anfield this summer, one that could yet end with second Premier League and Champions League titles.

His backroom staff will follow, and Schmadtke has already left following a January transfer window which saw the club primarily rearrange loan agreements, with Fabio Carvalho, Nat Philips and Calvin Ramsay finding new clubs.

West Ham impressed in the transfer market last summer, spending some of the Declan Rice money - following his £100m move to Arsenal - on shrewd acquisitions such as Mohammed Kudus and James Ward-Prowse.

Steidten 'not a candidate for Liverpool'

But the man who oversaw those moves, Steidten, won't be replacing Schmadtke according to one-time FootballTransfers collaborator Ben Jacobs.

"Steidten, by the way, is not a candidate for Liverpool despite reports," he told GiveMeSport. "So if he wants to leave West Ham and stay in the Premier League, he won't be going to Anfield.

"At this stage, it's kind of too early to be putting names out there. Newcastle are first dealing with the final stages of [Dan] Ashworth's exit [to Manchester United] and then and only then will they start talking to other candidates."

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is the favourite to replace Klopp as manager after steering Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga this season, eight points clear of Bayern Munich after 23 games played.

He could bring Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes with him, whilst it is known the Reds have already scouted current Bayer players such as midfield jewel Florian Wirtz and versatile defender Piero Hincapie.