Former West Ham United technical director Tim Steidten has admitted his first window at the club in 2023 was his most intense time as a manager.
[Transfermarkt’s German edition](https://www.transfermarkt.de/steidten-uber-brutalen-quot-deadline-day-in-england-diesen-tag-wunsche-ich-keinem-quot-/view/news/457021) have the second part of an interview with Steidten today in which he discusses various topics, including transfer business at West Ham.
Steidten was appointed by West Ham as their technical director in July 2023 and immediately set to work reshaping the squad with a big summer spend on Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Konstantinos Mavropanos.
The plan was to significantly strengthen David Moyes’ squad and that was certainly the case as they spent €137 reshaping a squad which lost Declan Rice and move on the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Nikola Vlasic and Arthur Masuaku as well.
Steidten, though, doesn’t have fond memories of that window it seems, admitting it was his most tough period at the club.
“The first transfer window in 2023 at West Ham, when we completed twelve transfers in four weeks, was the most stressful,” he said.
“That was truly a challenge. In Germany, you could prepare and plan for issues much better because you were allowed to work within a certain budget. The winter transfer window is completely underestimated in my opinion, because you could calmly anticipate the summer.
“Summer, on the other hand, is very often characterised by emotions, situations, and developments in the transfer market. The main work of a scouting department and a squad planner, of course, takes place beforehand, so that they can act quickly in the summer.”
Steidten was in charge of the Hammers’ transfer business until February this year, when he was relieved of his duties.
It meant he was in place for at least four windows and several busy deadline day scenarios, with last summer seeing them secure Carlos Soler at the last minute in a loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain.
While fans are a fan of the final day of the window and the drama it brings, it seems he is on the other side of the fence.
“In Germany, I found deadline day less hectic and enjoyed it, just to see what would happen – in England, it’s brutal,” he added.
“I wouldn’t wish that day on anyone, because so many emotions are involved. Sometimes there was even a match-day on deadline day. That was definitely the most stressful day of the year.”