The £75m Promise That’s Yet to Deliver
With a combined transfer fee of £75 million, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo should be one of the Premier League’s most formidable centre-back pairings. Sadly, one finds himself relegated to the bench or out of the squad altogether, while the other has yet to justify why both Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter rated him so highly.
Lopetegui was notably enthusiastic about Max Kilman’s arrival at West Ham, having previously worked with him at Wolves. His comments and actions suggested deep admiration and strategic intent behind the £40 million signing.
Potter also said in May: “Max brings calm and control. He’s someone we can build around.”
Potter has failed to get the best out of Todibo
Wolves Fans’ Mixed View of Kilman
Wolves fans had mixed feelings following the defender’s departure from Molineux. Some believed he was too error-prone—especially when not partnered with a dominant centre-half. However, former Sporting Director Matt Hobbs defended Kilman, warning fans they may miss his leadership and consistency—two traits West Ham supporters are yet to witness.
Looking at the stats, Kilman’s pass completion has improved at West Ham, but his number of clearances has risen significantly. This confirms what many fans already suspect: he’s under more defensive pressure. That pressure comes at a cost, with slight dips in both interceptions and tackles, plus a few errors directly leading to goals.
Kilman is under pressure at West Ham
Todibo’s Fall From Grace
Jean-Clair Todibo, once chased by Juventus and Manchester United, was flown to London by former Technical Director Tim Steidten to complete his move from OGC Nice.
At the time, Steidten described Todibo as “one of the finest ball-playing centre-halves in Ligue 1” and emphasised his “proven pedigree in European football”—something he won’t see much of at West Ham for the foreseeable future.
Todibo’s statistics have also regressed, possibly due to the faster pace and physicality of the Premier League. While his clearance rate has improved, interceptions and tackles have declined, reflecting a more reactive role rather than the assertive defender West Ham hoped for.
Potter’s Growing Concerns
Potter appears to have lost faith in Todibo, who struggles to last a full 90 minutes. The Frenchman has repeatedly asked to be substituted, and his behaviour, attitude, and commitment have all been questioned by the coaching staff.
For now, the much-hyped £75 million defensive duo has failed to materialise into Premier League dominance. Both Kilman and Todibo arrived with glowing endorsements and lofty expectations, but their performances have highlighted cracks in scouting, adaptation, and perhaps even dressing room dynamics.
Can a New Manager Salvage the Situation?
Whether this is a case of misjudged potential, poor tactical fit, or simply a slow bedding-in period remains to be seen.
If Nuno Espírito Santo becomes the new manager at West Ham, Kilman could flourish again. The defender has already stated that the Portuguese coach instilled high tactical standards and physical sharpness during their time together at Wolves. As for Todibo, fans can only hope he’s given the platform to prove why Europe’s elite once chased his signature.
West Ham fans are left hoping that time, trust, and a touch of resilience can turn two faltering signings into the backbone they were meant to be.
Terrible centre backs imo. Seen absolutely nothing of the talk we heard about Todibo coming in and Kilman is worse in my opinion. Another case of poor poor recruitment with no plan and completely over paying for the both of them. Neither worth more than £25m and if we sold them both tomorrow, our board would struggle to fetch that
I don’t think relegation is on the cards
We just have to sort out the defence
I think as long as the defence is solid the keeper will be confident
I think Marshall-needs to start,no questions asked and I would like to see-more of Gulhimere
Our defence all need to step up.
More effort is needed to put in blocks and defensive headers
I think Prowse needs to be rested and bring in Maggasca and Paqueta needs to up his game and get us ticking.
Him and Fernandes seem to gel quite well
Let’s get the pace of attack going again, to slow
Matin, some of the issue here is players not knowing what they are doing. Point proved with marking as a zonal system and no defender at the back post for a goal in the last home game. I still believe Kilman is part of the issue.
Predictive text, not noticed by me, changed Diop to Dion !
Todibo certainly hasn’t displayed the defensive prowess that I feel was led to believe he possessed. Overall, he hasn’t lived up to the hype, as far as I am concerned. Overall, on paper we have signed quite a few “good” defenders in recent years – him, Dion, Aguerd, Kilman (not Mavropanos, in my opinion), Palmieri – who turned out not to be so good in a West Ham shirt. Nevertheless, some have gone on to become “good” again at other teams ! The same goes for two or three striker signings. It is not difficult to believe that there is something fundamentally wrong at the club as regards these players. Why do they suddenly improve elsewhere – or have they ?
Can a new manager salvage the situation? ,I doubt it ,the team as a whole just not good enough,hiring a new manager won’t solve the problem.Why not stick with Graham Potter until the end of season and if relegation is the result then hire a new young enthusiastic manager who can build a team from scratch including some of the Under 21,s who can’t seem to get a chance at present.
You should have said all the under 21s because that is all would be left if we are relegated.