David Sullivan gives himself major new West Ham role
West Ham are looking ahead to an important summer transfer window as Graham Potter looks to put his stamp on the side.
The new manager was limited in his business during the winter transfer window due to the amount that Julen Lopetegui spent alongside Tim Steidten last summer.
After a rocky period with the Hammers, Steidten was let go from his role not long after the appointment of Potter leaving West Ham without a director of football.
West Ham prepare for the summer
Upon Steidten’s exit from The London Stadium, Kyle Macaulay was brought into West Ham as a head of recruitment with the intention of overseeing the transfer business.
Macaulay has worked with Potter previously during his time at Brighton making the appointment a fairly easy one to justify.
However, with no director of football yet in place, Dan Ashworth had been tipped to join the Hammers after he was let go by Manchester United, just months after starting his job.
The possibility of this move had been mooted given Ashworth would no doubt want a fair amount of freedom in his role, something David Sullivan may not have been prepared to give.
This seems to be the case as West Ham Football have reported via X (6 April) that the East London outfit will not be appointing Ashworth.
In fact, due to the failures of those who previously held the role, the report states that Sullivan himself is going to take on the role himself.
This means that in the upcoming window, the chief will be working closely with Potter and Macaulay rather than pushing the responsibilities onto another party.
West Ham have to get the summer right
Potter hasn’t had the easiest of starts to life at West Ham, although a point against Bournemouth on Saturday (5 April) is not a bad result.
| Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 3 | 3 | 5 |
Nevertheless, the boss needs to make a number of additions to his squad and also ensure his own style of football is reflected in the players.
The Irons have previously shown they are a side with the ability to push further up the table and in Europe which certainly has set the standard for where the side should be.
However, there is no doubt that the boss will need the backing to put a squad in place that is capable of competing.
Although Michail Antonio is recovering quicker than expected, he is not expected to be available for the start of the season.
Meanwhile, Evan Ferguson’s loan is unlikely to be made anything more and Vladimir Coufal has suggested he is also going to depart.
Sullivan working closely with Potter and Macaulay could work wonders as it cuts out the middle man and ensures that there is a good working relationship to reach the same aims.
However, with plenty riding on the success of this window, the chief cannot afford to get it wrong and he has to commit to filling in this gap rather than letting signings slip away.