Widespread change has been on the horizon at West Ham for some time now.
Ever since Karen Brady left the club in April, rumours of what happens next at board level have been rife throughout the fanbase.
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We’ve already seen Karim Virani appointed as the club’s Interim CEO, who has already been very busy meeting with Fan Advisory Board and implementing reduced season ticket pricing, among other things.
Daniel Kretinsky, who acquired 27% of the club in 2021, is reportedly having more and more influence at board level, which is fuelling more rumours that David Sullivan’s control and at the club is waning.
Sullivan remains the majority shareholder, but given that sidekick Brady has gone and there is continued pressure on him to leave the club by fans, especially since relegation to the Championship was confirmed last week, his days at the club do appear to be numbered at this stage.
Sullivan’s possible exit from the club will mark a new era at West Ham United, one which fans have been demanding for well over a decade now.
Imminent change at West Ham
Daniel Kretinsky West Ham
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky paid £160m for a 27% share of West Ham in 2021.
According to The West Ham Way, the club is preparing to appoint a new Director of Football in the coming weeks, which is a move being driven by Kretinsky.
It’s claimed this new appointment will help kickstart a complete reshuffle off the pitch, with Nuno Espirito Santo potentially being able to bring in the staff he has worked with throughout his career at previous clubs.
When he replaced Graham Potter in September, Nuno was unable to bring his own backroom staff with him, which may explain a lot of the struggles he had from the very beginning of his tenure.
The resignation of Head of Recruitment Max Hahn over the weekend also points towards something big happening behind the scenes.
These developments continue to point towards Kretinsky beginning to muscle in and have more of a say on how the club operates off the pitch, especially amid previous rumours that he is on course to increase his shares in the club.
West Ham’s DoF appointment not a guarantee of positive change
Indeed, West Ham aren’t strangers to making this kind of appointment.
The likes of Tim Steidten, Mario Husillos and Rob Newman have held this position in the past, albeit with varying job titles.
None of them had any real, sustained success during their respective times at the club.
Many will put that down to Sullivan’s inability to relinquish complete control of recruitment, even after employing these figures to take full responsibility. It never really felt like that had the final say on recruitment, despite them being there to have just that.
But with Kretinsky seemingly doing all he can to take control, and with Sullivan’s influence coming under serious question, this imminent appointment might finally be the one that changes things long-term.
This is, arguably, one of the biggest appointments the club will make this summer.
A new Director of Football will not only drive the recruitment process, but he will likely also be tasked with driving the long term vision of the club, the team’s philosophy and the culture.
That’s something the club hasn’t had while Sullivan has remained in control, so West Ham could be on the verge of a new era in its history after all.
Will it be successful? It’s impossible to know at this stage, but it’s clear some very big changes are afoot this summer, both on and off the pitch.