West Ham’s new recruit, Guido Rodriguez, has sensationally revealed the rapid pace at which the club’s director of football, Tim Steidten, moved to secure his signing.
In early July, Rodriguez’s departure from Real Betis was confirmed, an outcome that had been anticipated for months. After a failed agreement with Barcelona in May, Rodriguez became a free agent and ultimately joined Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham project following rapid work from Steidten.
“Everything happened so fast. The negotiation with West Ham was practically wrapped up in just two days. Until then, I had been in contact with Betis, who were also struggling with salary cap issues, as many teams in Spain do. I thought I would continue at Betis,” Rodriguez said.
“During the Copa América, I was focused on the tournament with my national team. Once it ended, I was on vacation, but it was hard to fully disconnect from the uncertainty surrounding my future. I didn’t know what would happen until just two days before traveling to London. That’s the reality of football. We have to look ahead and keep working.”
It would seem the Hammers dithering days may well be behind us.