West Ham have appointed German Tim Steidten as technical director following success in a similar role in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
The club said the 44-year-old, who will be responsible for West Ham’s player recruitment strategy, is known for his data-led approach to scouting.
He will work alongside manager David Moyes and sporting director Mark Noble.
“Tim’s appointment is key to our wider plans to drive our football strategy forward,” said chairman David Sullivan.
West Ham are set to lose captain Declan Rice to Arsenal in a £105m deal as they prepare for a third successive season in European competition.
They qualified for the Europa League with victory in the Europa Conference League – the club’s first trophy since winning the 1980 FA Cup – but will aim to improve on their 14th-place finish in the Premier League.
Steidten said: “There is already a fantastic team in place [at West Ham], but also so much ambition – from the board, the manager, his staff and the players – to continue succeeding, developing and growing. I cannot wait to play a key part in that.”
Leverkusen have finished consistently in the top six in the Bundesliga since Steidten’s arrival from Werder Bremen in 2019.
West Ham said his “data-led approach” to scouting had helped find a number of “unheralded gems” for the club, while Moyes praised his “strong track record in elite level football”.
