Liverpool have now reportedly set their sights of stealing West Ham United’s technical director Tim Steidten to become part of their new look back-room set-up next season, according to Football Insider.
The Reds are still coming to terms with the massive blow that has been Jurgen Klopp’s resignation announcement last week, but it is not only the German coach who will leave the red side of Merseyside this summer.
Klopp’s entire back-room staff will also be departing, including assistant Pep Lijnders and interim sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, leaving the Fenway Sports Group with an astronomical task to not only replace one of the club’s most successful managers in their entire history but also the cogs in the system who work behind him to keep things running smoothly.
One of the most important components in Klopp’s success at Anfield has been the sporting director working alongside him to identify and put together deals to attract players who have become some of the most talented and respected players in the modern game.
Michael Edwards was the genius behind the deals for Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker and Sadio Mane to name just a few, and when he left the club in 2022, it was inevitable that Liverpool would have trouble replacing him.
His successor Julian Ward didn’t even see out 12 months before announcing his departure, which led to the appointment of Schmadtke on a short-term basis whilst the club found the next long-term solution to losing Edwards.
Now it has been reported by Football Insider that Liverpool have set their sights on Tim Steidten, who is currently working with David Moyes at West Ham.
The publication claims that Steidten’s widely rumoured long-term feud with Moyes could be the catalyst in Liverpool attracting the German to Merseyside, as the pair in East London are struggling to see eye-to-eye on targets.
Should Liverpool hire Tim Steidten?
There is no doubt that Steidten has the experience and track record to potentially be a success at Liverpool, especially if he can link up with a manager and backroom team that trust in his work.
The 44-year-old is a highly respected person in recruitment circles, with the acquisition of Mohamed Kudus and Edson Alvarez more recently a testament to his eye for talent, as well as his impressive stint at Bayer Leverkusen, where he completed deals to sign Florian Wirtz, Edmond Tapsoba, and Jeremie Frimpong.
Not only that, Steidten played a huge role in convincing the Hammers’ star player Jarrod Bowen to sign a new long-term contract with the club last October, a power of persuasion that could come in handy when addressing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s contracts that are set to expire in 18 months.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether the rumours have legs as Schmadtke will no longer be employed by the club at the end of this week and finding a sporting director who can get the ball rolling as soon as possible would be massively advantageous.
