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1 month ago
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West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten, is staying away from the training ground after a further breakdown in his relationship with Julen Lopetegui, whose position as manager is under renewed threat after heavy defeats by Liverpool and Manchester City.
The mood at the London Stadium has plummeted after a poor first half of the season, with the team’s struggles heightening the pressure on senior personnel.
Multiple sources have said that Lopetegui, who was close to being sacked last month, has asked Steidten to stay away from the training ground. This has been denied by West Ham, who have attributed the German’s absence to him focusing on this month’s transfer window, but the situation is understood to be tense.
Steidten, who has an office at the training ground and has faced scrutiny over some of his signings, has been involved in identifying potential replacements for Lopetegui. The duo are not on good terms. Steidten was also told to stay away from training by Lopetegui’s predecessor, David Moyes, last season.
West Ham have resisted firing Lopetegui, who was appointed last summer, but his future is back under focus before Friday’s trip to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round. West Ham are 14th in the Premier League, seven points above the bottom three. They have shipped goals at an alarming rate and face key home games against Fulham and Crystal Palace next week.
There have been whispers that there is an outside chance of Lopetegui leaving before the visit of Fulham. West Ham are monitoring the former Chelsea manager Graham Potter, who could be considered on a short-term deal. One of their previous targets, Sérgio Conceição, has joined Milan, and the former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic is thought to be cool on the idea of replacing Lopetegui. Concerns over Max Allegri’s English make a move for the former Juventus manager unlikely.
Lopetegui will hope to fight through the latest sticky patch and he can take heart from a four-game unbeaten run during December and from how many chances West Ham created against City last Saturday. But poor defending has weakened his position and the attack has been weakened by the unavailability of Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, who is out for two months with a broken foot.
West Ham are looking at additions in attack and are considering a loan move for Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, who is also wanted by Fulham. The Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan is also of interest and a move for the Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is a possibility. West Ham also like the City youngster James McAtee, although they have limited funds.
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Insiders have said that Steidten, who was hired in the summer of 2023, is still playing an active role in recruitment. But while the German’s role has not been downgraded, questions have been asked about his work and he has become unpopular with some staff members. Doubts over Steidten’s knowledge of English football have surfaced and it is understood the board are taking a more active role in transfers this month.
