West Ham to appoint ‘popular figure’ amid first-team coach talks at London Stadium
West Ham look set to add to their coaching staff ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Hammers will be keen to have a much-improved campaign next time around after struggling throughout the past 12 months.
Even with the introduction of Graham Potter, there was little upturn in form, which ultimately ended in a 14th-place finish, just five points off Tottenham in 17th.
With that in mind, the East London outfit could be set to bring in a well-appreciated figure to help aid the coaching team at Rush Green.
West Ham set to appoint new coach
There have been a number of incoming transfers linked with a switch to the London Stadium who need to have a positive impact.
This is particularly the case in forward areas, as Potter failed to get the best out of many attackers throughout his reign to this point.
Besides Jarrod Bowen, there has been very little joy and a general lack of output by recognised forwards in claret and blue.
| Name | Goals (Premier League 24/25) |
| Jarrod Bowen | 13 |
| Tomas Soucek | 9 |
| Mohammed Kudus | 5 |
| Lucas Paqueta | 4 |
| Niclas Fullkrug | 3 |
This could see a new number nine potentially come in, while a coach with bags of experience scoring goals would certainly be a boost.
As a result, the addition of Jermain Defoe to the coaching staff under Potter could prove to be a wise move, with initial talks already being held [ExWHUEmployee, 17 May].
Former Brentford and Leicester City manager Martin Allen feels completely positive about this potential deal, given his existing popularity around the London Stadium.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Allen said: “I think the addition of Defoe would be a good thing, he’s a very popular figure.
“I know he’s been working at Tottenham in their academy, so a move to work with the first team with Graham Potter could happen. Only time will tell.“
Defoe could be massive boost to West Ham
With 162 goals and 33 assists, there is no doubt that the former England international knows exactly where the net is.
As a result, his expertise in training sessions could prove to be much appreciated by Potter as he looks to get more out of his side moving forward.
There will still be hopes for Niclas Fullkrug to showcase his abilities, which may be entirely possible with a year of Premier League football behind him and Defoe in his corner.
It will certainly be interesting to see if the 42-year-old takes up a role in East London and how much of a positive impact he can have.