My West Ham news feed yesterday was littered with stories about who the club nearly signed during January, but one name stood out more than the rest.
That player was Charlie Cresswell of Toulouse, who was reportedly identified as a top defensive target. The Athletic revealed that Maximilian Hahn — West Ham’s Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis — had been in dialogue with Cresswell’s representatives.
This is the same Max Hahn credited with helping bring in Malick Diouf and Mateus Fernandes — and the same figure that co-owner David Sullivan is said to place significant faith in.
Yet on this occasion — and on several others during the window — it appears the club chose instead to lean on manager preferences and agent recommendations.
Another Recruitment Opportunity Thrown Away
Cresswell looks like exactly the type of signing West Ham should be making: young enough to develop, but good enough to help now. To discover that the club not only had the chance to sign him, but could have done so early in the window, is deeply frustrating.
Once again, it underlines a familiar problem.
Any semblance of a coherent recruitment strategy — the kind led by a proper director of football — now feels like a thing of the past. Instead, West Ham stumble from target to target, reacting rather than planning, while the people tasked with long-term squad building appear increasingly sidelined.
And that, more than any individual missed signing, tells you everything about why this transfer window unravelled the way it did.
Definitely another opportunity to sign a good, young player at a reasonable price.
Also I don’t think we ever had a deal in place for Nketiah from palace, just our owners giving us a load of bull.
Need to give Diesal a chance, notice we are knocking him down already.
He has signed to help us do give the guy a chance
Nuno shouldn’t be making transfer decisions . Nuno’s pick , big , bumbling , buffoon , Traore with his late violent conduct against Chelsea caused the mele that resulted in the straight red card for Todibo and multi match ban . Nuno also preferred Disasi over Cresswell . Ultimately , he was sacked by Forest for wanting to be a manager rather than just coach and now Forest have been proven right as his decisions have guaranteed Westham’s relegation . The chaos of the BS tenure will continue after Nino is sacked at the end of the season because they are clueless on how to run a club in any league which Westham drop down to .
Max Hahn was doing his job. He is not responsible for team performance and so it is right that we went with managers picks.
Too obvious?
Sullivan takes the fans for fools and lies all the time
Do you think theres any team strategy role going at the club, i might throw my hat in the ring with my zero experience managing or running a real football club. My Football Manager stats may suggest i may be the man for the job.
This club is being run like an old boys’ network, not a serious football operation. Mates’ recommendations, zero accountability, and a board happy to sit quietly while standards collapse. In any other business this would be a scandal. Relegation won’t be bad luck — it’ll be earned.
Just dont believe a word what comes out of the owners mouths anymore
And, it more or less tells you that West Ham will be relegated this season. Next 2 games will be decisive.
Totally agree Gonzo.
However, it has been the same modus operandi throughout this current board’s tenure.
Nothing has changed overall in their approach to recruitment of players, selling strategy is even worse!
Shareholders are too emotionally involved, not objective enough to give themselves ample space to clarify a vision that restores West Ham Utd, DNA.
Bang on DJ mate
The last few seasons have been a disgrace by the two so-called owners running our club! it is way past time they called it a day! they are clueless!
The clowns are running the circus
I find it hard to believe that a club like West Ham can mismanage transfers in the way that it does,there must be an underlying problem that is not publisied as there is no genuine reason why the players mentioned are not signed when the chance is there,I really hope we avoid relegation but maybe that’s the wake up call these directors need as the premiership gravy train will be a long time stopping at the London stadium station
Morning Gonzo. It’s been said already about this signing should have happened in the summer. I suspect it was always a non starter for Jan given Leeds having a 20% sell on clause, which perhaps played a part in Sully’s reluctance to add to their transfer kitty.
That said, Cresswell wasn’t the only option so only at WH could we go into the window needing …….. (fill in position) and end it without signing one.