2 months ago
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Tim Steidten failed in his bid to convince free agent defender Mats Hummels to join West Ham this summer, according to reports.
The 35-year-old was one of the stars for Borussia Dortmund last season as they reached the Champions League final.
Nevertheless, Hummels — a 78-time Germany international and 2014 World Cup winner — left Dortmund at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract.
Unsurprisingly, given his quality and experience, Hummels was linked with a number of European clubs, including AC Milan, Brighton and West Ham.
The latter may well have thought they’d have an edge over their rivals with technical director Steidten hailing from Germany.
Tim Steidten failed to convince Hummels to join West Ham
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 01: Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund applauds the fans following defeat to Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Final match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid CF at Wembley Stadium on June 01, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Indeed, according to a report from TBR, Steidten came very close to persuading Hummels to move to the London Stadium, with the veteran defender ‘tempted’ by the proposal on offer.
However, in the end, it wasn’t to be. Instead, TBR report that Hummels is on the verge of joining Italian side AS Roma, where he’ll play Europa League football under Daniele De Rossi.
According to TBR, Hummels even spoke to Tottenham Hotspur about a potential move this summer, but opted against it.
Despite signing Max Kilman and Jean-Clear Todibo, the departures of Thilo Kehrer, Angelo Ogbonna, Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma have left West Ham extremely short at centre-back, with Konstantinos Mavropanos their only other senior option.
With the English transfer window now shut, the Hammers may yet return to the free agent market to bolster new manager Julen Lopetegui’s options.
