Hammer tops Anfield’s list for sporting director role

WEST HAM are braced for an approach from Liverpool for highly-rated sporting director Tim Steidten after the January transfer window. The Premier League leaders are in the market for a new sporting director after Jorg Schmadtke announced he will leave at the end of the week. The German is one of five high-profile exits at Anfield, including close ally Jurgen Klopp and three coaches. Liverpool have already seen former sporting director Michael Edwards reject the chance to return to the club. But now West Ham’s Steidten has emerged as a leading candidate for the sporting director role. Mail Sport understands no approach has been made yet, as that would be considered bad etiquette during the final days of a transfer window. The Hammers, however, are braced for interest in their transfer chief, who only joined in the summer but was heralded for replacing Declan Rice with a flurry of shrewd signings including James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez. Steidten, 44, also worked at Bayer Leverkusen and was responsible for hiring Xabi Alonso as manager. At Werder Bremen before that, he signed Kevin De Bruyne and Serge Gnabry. West Ham boss David Moyes and Steidten started on the wrong foot but have patched things up. Nevertheless, the German believes he should have more control and sources have suggested he is not entirely settled. He was also keen to bring in younger brother Moritz and another friend, Maximilian Hahn, in a scouting capacity as he looked to stamp further authority on the London Stadium. But West Ham are now worried that Steidten could leave if Liverpool come calling. He is one name on a list of targets to replace Schmadtke in a new-look structure at Anfield, along with Bournemouth’s Richard Hughes and several others. Former midfielder Hughes joined the Bournemouth team under Eddie Howe and was later promoted to technical director. He has overseen a datadriven approach to transfers under manager Andoni Iraola.