West Ham boss David Moyes manages pre-season-friendly against Perth Glory
West Ham boss David Moyes and new technical director Tim Steidten are struggling to agree over how the first team should be improved, with a report claiming the pair to be at odds over one particular signing.
West Ham have money to spend after selling club captain Declan Rice to Arsenal in a £105million deal. They have worked hard to try and replace him, bidding for midfielders such as James Ward-Prowse, Joao Palhinha and Conor Gallagher. However, the Irons have not yet been able to bolster their midfield, or indeed any other part of the team, which is leading to concern among fans.
As per a report from The Guardian, West Ham’s recruitment strategy ‘remains far from smooth’. Steidten was supposed to aid Moyes in bringing top talent to the London Stadium, but the appointment has not worked so far.
The report claims there is already ‘tension’ between Moyes and Steidten, who previously worked at German clubs Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen.
Steidten believes West Ham can get the best value for money by searching in foreign leagues and alternative markets. But Moyes wants players with Premier League experience, and ideally British stars who can form part of a core group.
This explains why West Ham have made offers for Ward-Prowse and Gallagher, as well as Palhinha. While the latter hails from Portugal, he enjoyed a very good debut season with Fulham last term. West Ham also have strong interest in Scott McTominay, who could be sold by Manchester United this summer.
Steidten, in contrast, would like to raid Monaco for 24-year-old midfielder Youssouf Fofana. The club chief has expressed his interest in Fofana, who has won 10 caps for the French national team, but is likely to miss out on the capture due to Moyes being hesitant.
Steidten ‘frustrated’ as Moyes has Fofana concern
Steidten is said to be ‘frustrated’ about this particular pursuit. The Guardian’s sources claim they are unsure whether Steidten will last. And if he does stay, it is likely Moyes will go.
Steidten’s arrival also complicated West Ham’s move for Leicester winger Harvey Barnes. The East London side had already been in talks with Leicester, but they opted to overhaul their entire recruitment strategy after the 44-year-old joined, and this resulted in them losing out on Barnes to Newcastle.
West Ham are heading into ‘uncertain times’. Moyes has lost Mark Warburton and Paul Nevin from his backroom staff recently and could leave the club if they start the new campaign badly.
And things may go from bad to worse for West Ham, with the club facing a brutal snub by one of their top targets as he thinks they’re small-time.
