The first major recruitment coup of the new West Ham era looks a nailed – on certainty now after this weekend’s developments; We’d suggest a ‘done deal‘ but knowing how those words came back to bite us last week we’ll wait for the official announcement!
However it seems a fair conclusion to suggest that West Ham’s head of recruitment position has now been ‘filled’ following the report today claiming that the one major stumbling block that could have derail the club’s appointment has now been circumvented, according to footballinsider247.com:
Nils Koppen has been granted a work permit as he closes in on being appointed West Ham United’s new transfer chief….
Koppen will lead West Ham’s search for players once his contract at FC Copenhagen is ended
The 39-year-old was awarded the permit at a hearing on Friday after agreeing terms with the Hammers.”
Within three weeks of taking over the helm, the new-look Hammers’ board would seem about to confirm their appointment of the former Glasgow Rangers technical director as their head of recruitment.
Whilst it has felt like months, that’s pretty speedy stuff.
We understand that Koppen will be working ‘alongside’ Nuno Espírito Santo rather than ‘above’ him, which should hopefully defuse any of the summer nastiness that saw Nuno exit Nottingham Forest a year ago after his falling-out with Forest’s ‘head of football’ Edu, who apparently had very different ideas on how the club should have been operated.
Koppen faces a big challenge this summer: His ‘inbox’ will already be stuffed with enquiries for key players that West Ham will be hoping to keep: Plus of course the ongoing Summerville and Fernandes transfer talk needs nailing down one way or the other according to the board’s wishes.
There’s also the small matter of bringing in enough talent for Nuno to have a functioning squad once the likes of Alphonse Areola, Jean Clair Todibo, Fernandes, Summerville, Fullkrug, Cornet, Ward Prowse and whoever else is deemed surplus to requirements has exited the club.
However there is still the small issue that Koppen is technically still in the employ of FC Copenhagen to be overcome. No doubt nothing that money cannot fix.
I am relieved if it’s true he will work with Nuno. Managers are the first to be sacked if it all goes wrong, so should have a say in who we buy. We know the other way doesn’t work from the Steidten / Moyes debacle
6 weeks until the start of the season, hope he didn’t have any holiday plans. Feels like it could be the start of a very exciting era for us.