West Ham struggling to convince Liverpool target to stay

Tom Weber

• Updated: 19 Feb 2024 19:52 GMT
• 3 min read

West Ham are struggling to convince technical director Tim Steidten to remain at the club, according to a report.

The 44-year-old has recently become the subject of intense speculation. A shrewd negotiator, the German is a sought-after commodity after pulling off several successful transfers for the Hammers in the summer, such as signing Mohammed Kudus, James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez.

The former Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen transfer guru has been most prominently linked with Liverpool, who are currently without a sporting director following the departure of Jorg Schmadtke after the conclusion of the January window. The Reds are scrambling to find a replacement for the former Wolfsburg chief due to the impending departure of Jurgen Klopp.

The new director will have the Herculean task of finding a suitable successor to Liverpool's most successful coach of the modern era. Additionally, of course, he will also oversee what is bound to be a big summer in terms of signings, with players such as Thiago, Joel Matip and potentially Mohamed Salah in need of replacing.

Steidten could leave West Ham

This has led to the Reds taking a keen interest in Steidten, who recently addressed the rumours by revealing that he is "honoured" to be linked with Liverpool. “I've heard that I am supposed to be on the list at Liverpool. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world, so it's an honour. But so far nobody from Liverpool has contacted me yet," he told Sky Germany.

Now, The Guardian claims that the Hammers are facing an uphill battle to keep hold of the 44-year-old. It is asserted that Steidten is not entirely happy with the way West Ham operate and that he feels he should have more of a say, particularly when it comes to potentially choosing a new coach as David Moyes is under pressure after eight games without a win.

Steidten allegedly did not see eye-to-eye with Moyes on recruitment in the previous window and is said to be in favour of making a coaching change. His stance on a summer exit could hinge on whether or not he will get to decide on the Hammers' next boss.