Say what you will about majority owner David Sullivan, but despite this past transfer season, there hasn’t been a summer window in the last five or six years where he hasn’t spent money. This transfer season, he spent a million dollars to free Kyle Macaulay from Chelsea to become West Ham’s new director of recruitment. Despite never holding a recruitment position, former manager Graham Potter requested that the board bring in Macaulay as the new director of football, even though Tim Steidten still held the role at the time. Macaulay eventually joined.
Let’s rewind to the January 2020 transfer window when Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek joined West Ham. This felt like a turning point for the club, transforming them from the bottom of the league to eventual European success. Manuel Pellegrini was sacked just before New Year’s, and David Moyes arrived to save the Hammers from what seemed like certain relegation. Moyes wanted his type of players, and you can now say both Bowen and Soucek were cornerstone acquisitions. Sullivan and the board approved both signings and secured them.
Bowen and Soucek made an immediate impact, helping West Ham finish just five points above relegation in 16th place. That summer, Sullivan and Moyes brought in Soucek’s Czech teammate Vladimir Coufal and defensive stalwart Craig Dawson. They also reinforced their wing play by signing Said Benrahma. By January 2021, Moyes felt confident of staying in the top ten and brought in Jesse Lingard from Manchester United. All Lingard did was score nine goals and provide five assists. He was exactly what the Hammers had been missing: a forward-thinking midfielder with speed and a knack for goals.
Moyes and Sullivan worked well together despite occasional tension. By summer 2021, West Ham had qualified for a European tournament and were expected to finish among the top ten teams in the Premier League. After failing to secure their targets that summer, Moyes and Sullivan agreed to bring in Rob Newman as head of recruitment. Moyes wanted Lingard back but struck out. Much of the 2021/22 season was spent identifying targets for the following summer. With the additions of Kurt Zouma, Nikola Vlasic, Alex Kral, and Alphonse Areola, West Ham finished seventh in the standings and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.
LOCKED AND LOADED
By the summer of 2022, Sullivan opened the treasure chest. With money from his first five years at the London Stadium, plus bonus funds from European play, West Ham went shopping. Fans often blame Sullivan for dysfunction, but Moyes had stabilized the squad and turned them into winners, getting the most from a roster with no depth. It was now on Sullivan to get Moyes what he needed. Not a single fan disliked what West Ham did in the summer of 2022.
The Hammers needed a striker to support or compete with Michail Antonio, who had been converted from the wing and given all the playing time at number nine. Quietly, West Ham secured one of Serie A’s top strikers, Gianluca Scamacca. Before announcing Scamacca, they signed Nayef Aguerd, one of the most sought-after defenders after an impressive performance with the Morocco national team. They also brought in Emerson Palmieri, who had helped Italy win a European Championship, and Maxwel Cornet, who scored nine goals for Burnley the previous year, for depth. Sullivan further solidified the keeper position by signing Areola permanently and added Thilo Kehrer and hometown favorite Flynn Downes to the defense. The crown jewel, however, was Lucas Paqueta, whose signing surprised everyone.
Paqueta became the centerpiece. Moyes wanted Lingard back but couldn’t secure him on a free transfer. Their backup plan was Brazil’s number 10. The summer spending secured the Europa Conference League title and positioned the Hammers to play in Europe again, despite a mediocre Premier League season where they struggled to find team chemistry.
The following summer, Sullivan and Moyes were at it again. This time, minority owner Daniel Kretinsky recommended that Sullivan and the board hire Tim Steidten as director of football. Despite Sullivan and Moyes surrendering some transfer responsibilities, the team brought in Greece’s best defender, Konstantinos Mavropanos, veteran leader and set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse, Mexico’s top defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez to replace Declan Rice, and star-in-the-making Mohammed Kudus. Despite missing out on a few key players and sending Cornet and Scamacca away, it was another successful summer.
TOO MANY COOKS
By the end of 2024, “Moyesball” had disenchanted the fanbase. Despite three consecutive years in Europe and a title, Moyes wanted a say in how West Ham would continue to be built. The board was fully committed to Steidten, but Sullivan still wanted a role in negotiations. The previous January transfer window stalled due to too many voices—Sullivan, Moyes, and Steidten all had different targets. Moyes rejected several players, and Sullivan pulled the plug on a couple of negotiations, including one with Diogo Jota. In the end, Moyes got one of his requests through with Kalvin Phillips on loan.
This marked the beginning of the end for Moyes. Sullivan was fine battling Steidten over transfers but wasn’t prepared for another January window dealing with both. Moyes’ contract was not renewed, as he would only return if Sullivan granted him final say on transfers. The thought was that Sullivan needed a manager to elevate the team on the coaching side, given his success in bringing in impact players. Against most recommendations, Sullivan hired Julen Lopetegui, who asked for his type of players. Steidten had recommended other managers, but Sullivan did what he wanted.
Once Lopetegui realized he wasn’t Steidten’s choice, their relationship fractured quickly, even before a game was played. Steidten still worked to help Lopetegui secure Max Kilman and Niclas Füllkrug. Sullivan, however, struck out in negotiations for Jhon Duran. The deal was agreed upon with the player, provided Sullivan met the transfer fee, but he came in well below the asking price, offending the player. Sullivan had previously failed to secure Sebastian Haller and Gianluca Scamacca, and now he missed out on Colombia’s top striker. As the deal fell apart, Steidten pounced on Füllkrug to avoid missing out on a desperately needed striker.
Sullivan independently secured Crysencio Summerville and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Lopetegui asked Sullivan for Carlos Soler and Guido Rodríguez, and Sullivan delivered without Steidten’s assistance. The summer window looked successful on paper, but behind the scenes, Steidten was frozen out by Lopetegui and Sullivan. The front office became toxic, and Lopetegui eventually shut Steidten out entirely, barring him from practice and the locker room.
Sullivan contributed to the chaos instead of resolving it. He let go of a manager he worked well with in Moyes, despite some tension, and resisted change by bringing in Steidten as director of football. With no one on the same page, the product on the field became toxic as well. Lopetegui couldn’t turn things around, and before it was too late, Karren Brady stepped in and brought Graham Potter into the fold to stabilize the team.
Most fans know the rest. Steidten was sacked, and it felt like the team was starting from scratch. West Ham went from challenging for Europe to fighting relegation again.There was a window when Sullivan and Moyes worked toward a common goal. Success made Sullivan want even more control. The problem was that those years of success didn’t teach him that he doesn’t always have the answers. Despite picking the wrong manager and securing his players, Sullivan continues to avoid building the right infrastructure for sustained success. There seems to be no plan to fill the roles of director of football or director of recruitment. Internally, Sullivan is trying to prevent lead analyst Max Hahns from leaving, and it’s believed he will be promoted.
When it comes to recruitment and transfers, fans want owners who can spend. Sullivan has shown a willingness to do so. The nucleus of this squad was built by Moyes, but two poor coaching choices made Sullivan realize the roster is built for counter-attacking football. Sullivan was on record saying he wanted a more progressive, offensive style of play, but he hired defensively minded managers instead.
WHAT FANS WANT
If Sullivan had sustained success after Moyes, there would be no protests in the streets or calls for the board’s resignation and Sullivan to sell. Sullivan once said moving to the London Stadium would make the team more competitive. Setting that expectation fueled fans’ desire for more. Fans don’t want owners making all the decisions. They want a proper foundation: filled positions and a structure like most “big” teams follow. The board seems unwilling to appoint a new director of football or recruitment. With Macaulay’s dismissal, it appears Sullivan and Brady are filling those roles themselves.
This notion remains undisputed. Executives are typically held accountable by owners, and boards establish accountability for executive positions and sporting departments, including managers, coaches, and the academy. But when two owners fill those roles, fans are left holding them accountable.
What fans want is a clear identity. For example, with the current crop of players, West Ham is a counter-attacking team. There should be a director of football identifying players to support that style, a director of recruitment, and an analytical department making deals. A coach like Nuno Espírito Santo, an expert in counter-attacking football, should execute that style. This is a basic path to success. Combine that with spending power, and West Ham could compete for top spots in the Premier League every year.