West Ham technical director Steidten asked to stay away from first team

West Ham’s hunt for a new manager has resulted in Tim Steidten, the technical director, being asked to stay away from David Moyes and the first team for the rest of the season. Steidten is heavily involved in the hunt for a replacement for Moyes, who is set to depart when his contract  expires this summer, and that has led to growing unease behind the  scenes.

West Ham’s desire to make a managerial change is an open secret and they have held talks with Julen Lopetegui, Hansi Flick and Sporting’s Rúben Amorim.

Steidten, who started his role last summer, is one of the main drivers behind the move for a manager. The German’s relationship with Moyes has been tense and his arrival led to Moyes having less influence over  transfers.

But the decision to restrict Steidten’s access to the first-team dressing room at the London Stadium and the training ground has caused surprise within the club. The move was not made by the board and is understood to have been instigated by Moyes.

The argument is that it would be inappropriate for Steidten to maintain a presence around the first team while he is looking to bring in a manager. There is an acceptance the situation cannot be allowed to continue, signalling that blocking Steidten out will not improve Moyes’s chances of staying.

Moyes is due to hold talks with the board this month, but it would take a major U-turn for the club to offer him a new deal.

West Ham play Chelsea, Luton and Manchester City in their final three games and retain a slim chance of qualifying for Europe. However, they have won four games in all ­competitions in 2024.

There had been whispers earlier this season that Steidten was ­pondering quitting this summer after growing frustrated with recent recruitment decisions. His position has been strengthened in recent months with his brother, Moritz, and another ally from Germany, ­Maximilian Hahn, joining the ­recruitment team.