Rumour Mongering: Reds Eye West Ham Man for Sporting Director Role

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The German also has a history with Xabi Alonso.

As Liverpool continue their surprising run at a potential quadruple, a summer of uncertainty unprecedented in recent seasons awaits, as the club is not only looking to replace their iconic manager, but also attempting to appoint their third director of football in as many years, with Jörg Schmadtke — having always looked likely to be a temporary solution — vacating the role he took over from Julian Ward, who himself lasted only a single season having replaced long-term head honcho Michael Edwards back in the summer of 2022.

Potentially as important as getting the right manager in, a director of football is absolutely critical to running a successful sporting operation in the current era, and the Reds will be hoping they are done with half-measures when July rolls around. That is easier said than done, though, and many names are likely to be thrown around before anything is finalised and a clear view of Liverpool’s future crystallises.

The most recent candidate to garner the attention of the media is Tim Steidten. The West Ham man has only been with the Hammers since last summer, and recently a trio of reports indicated that the German could potentially have his head turned should Liverpool come calling. Steidten oversaw the acquisitions of Mohammed Kudus, Edson Álvarez and Konstantinos Mavropanos, as well as, perhaps less excitingly, James Ward-Prowse and Kalvin Phillips, as West Ham have re-established themselves as a threat to the European spots following a disappointing 14th placed finish in 2022/23.

The German spent four years as technical director at Bayer Leverkusen, and a such worked with Xabi Alonso for nine months last year, although it is unclear to what extent he was involved in the transfers that helped reshape the Leverkusen squad in Alonso’s image last summer.

Fresh reports that Steidten has begun making backroom appointments at West Ham could potentially throw cold water on these rumours before they truly take flight, but whether these are the actions of a man setting the stage for his continued employment or simply one doing his job until the day he leaves is impossible to state at this juncture.