Transfer expert Hahn now a wanted man | Hammers’ recruitment crisis looms

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether West Ham have had more managers or heads of recruitment in recent years, but it’s a close-run thing.

From Mario Husillos to Tony Henry, Rob Newman, Tim Steidten and, of course, Kyle Macaulay, the Hammers have had their fair share of transfer boffins.

Only recently, West Ham made a statement to fans claiming that the future of the club was bright with Graham Potter and Macaulay plotting a long-term recruitment strategy. Whoops.

But never mind — there’s always the reliable Max Hahn, the German data analyst who can crunch the numbers, play moneyball and unearth hidden talent. Only last week, credit for the signing of left-back Malick Diouf was taken away from Macaulay and handed to Hahn. If I’m honest, I don’t buy that convenient change of narrative for a second — but there’s no denying Hahn is highly regarded at West Ham, especially after the recent upheaval at the London Stadium.

Hahn on the Radar

However, according to an update from West Ham ITK ExWHUEmployee, the latest transfer expert trusted with shaping the club’s recruitment could soon be off too.

Maximilian Hahn, currently the Hammers’ chief data analyst, is being headhunted by several clubs across Europe. Multiple German sides, including Schalke, view Hahn as a future sporting director, while Southampton and Blackburn Rovers have also expressed interest.

According to Ex, many of these clubs see Hahn as having the potential to make the step up to a director of football role. This leaves the Irons hierarchy in a tricky predicament, especially given that the sporting director position was dissolved following the sacking of Tim Steidten.

If true, the next few months could prove very interesting — particularly given the recent breakdown of trust between Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest’s decision to appoint a director of football in the form of Edu.