Sullivan will be fuming at Tim Steidten for selling 29-year-old star



West Ham technical director, Tim Steidten, really went to town in the transfer market this summer for the East London outfit, and given how poorly the club have started the 2024/25 campaign, it would be no surprise to understand that chairman David Sullivan will be furious with the German’s decision making.

Steidten had apparently warned the Hammers hierarchy against signing Julen Lopetegui as first-team coach, and therefore could point to that decision being another – made by the club – which hasn’t helped alleviate the current status quo.

David Sullivan would have good reason to be mad at Tim Steidten

However the German tried to justify himself, however, pundit Chris Sutton is just one to voice his concerns as to what Steidten has actually done in terms of bringing Lopetegui in, in the first place, and evidently harming the club in the immediate future.

According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail (subscription required), Sullivan is likely to be fuming.

‘Given Fullkrug is 31, finding any sort of value in that deal – sporting or financial – doesn’t necessarily strike you square in the face,’ he wrote.

David Sullivan will be furious with Tim Steidten for selling James Ward-Prowse. Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

‘Summerville, signed from Leeds for an initial £25m, has made one Premier League start so far.

‘The decision to let James Ward-Prowse, a seasoned Premier League campaigner, join Nottingham Forest is another questionable transfer decision.

‘‘Nearly £200m spent? I’m not sure I’d be too happy if I was Sullivan.’

It’s difficult to argue with that line of thinking and if results don’t improve, it’s blindingly obvious that fingers will be pointed.


 

Will they be at a Spanish coach that appears to be completely on the wrong wavelength to his players – think Erik ten Hag at Man United too, who the Hammers play on Sunday – or directed at a technical director that clearly had the club’s best intentions at heart.

Before signing those players, West Ham fans appeared to be cock-a-hoop that their club was finally mixing it with the big boys during a transfer window, however, there’s been nothing to crow about so far.