West Ham United finished the 2024/25 season in 14th place in the Premier League and failed to clinch a European slot.
It was a disappointing end to a campaign that had started with so much promise after the Hammers flexed their financial muscle in the transfer market.
The Irons, led by former director Tim Steidten, invested heavily to sign Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Luis Guilherme, and Max Kilman.
However, several of those big-money additions failed to live up to fan expectations, and Steidten paid the price as West Ham dismissed him.
Interestingly, the German transfer chief has stuck to his guns, insisting he did not make a mistake in his transfer dealings.
The Fullkrug transfer left a bitter taste as many had anticipated that signing an ageing, injury-prone striker on big wages (£90,000 per week) was not the wisest choice.
That did not stop Steidten, who personally handpicked the German international striker as a target.
Fullkrug was one of the most disappointing additions of the bunch and is reportedly already looking for a return to his native Germany.
Still, Steidten refuses to concede. “In the end, we were at a fee of €22 million with Dortmund, and I would do the transfer again at any time,” he said (via Florian Plettenberg).
“Dortmund said he had been too expensive – for me, he was still too cheap.
“Niclas was not only the type of player I was looking for on the pitch, but also someone who can lead the team off the pitch.”
Thank heavens Steidten is gone (view).
His arrogance, stubbornness, and misguided belief in his hype left West Ham with an inflated wage bill, underperforming signings, and a bloated squad needing a reset.
His defence of the Fullkrug deal, calling €22 million “too cheap”, is laughable and emblematic of his entire tenure.
The club now faces a massive rebuild. West Ham are lucky to be rid of him. Pity the next club that hands over its recruitment strategy to a man who refuses to learn from failure.