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West Ham’s head of recruitment is leaving. Their summer rebuild might have just become a little trickier
A number of players are expected to leave West Ham United in the summer ahead following their relegation from the Premier League. That being the case, Maximilian Hahn’s departure as head of technical recruitment could prove to be a significant loss.
Hahn, who initially joined as head of technical scouting in February 2024, has resigned from his role. The 30-year-old had previously attracted interest from European clubs. Sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say West Ham tried to convince Hahn to stay but his mind was made up.
There are not expected to be other noticeable departures in the recruitment team but Hahn’s impending exit is a big blow. He played roles in the signings of Mateus Fernandes, 21, El Hadji Malick Diouf, 21, loanee Axel Disasi, 28, Soungoutou Magassa, 22, and Crysencio Summerville, 24.
His exit fills a void in the recruitment team that consists of sporting director Mark Noble, European scout Georges Santos, lead senior scout Adam Clarke, first-team scout Simon Gillett, recruitment analyst Dylan Curnell, Italian scout Antonio Tramontano and others. The Athletic previously reported that West Ham are keen to appoint a director of football and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will have a big say on the appointment.
Hahn arrived at the London Stadium following a recommendation from ex-technical director Tim Steidten, who left in February 2025 after clashing with former managers Julen Lopetegui and David Moyes. He was promoted when Kyle Macaulay, the then head of recruitment, left in October following Graham Potter’s departure as head coach.
Of the many players the recruitment team identified last summer, Fernandes, Diouf, Disasi, Magassa, Tyler Morton and Charlie Cresswell featured high on the list. West Ham signed three of the six players listed. Fernandes, who joined in the region of £38million from Southampton and has attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain, had been on West Ham’s radar since the summer of 2024.
Maximilian Hahn played a role in the signing of midfielder Mateus Fernandes from Southampton (Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Sources say the recruitment team pitched the Portugal international to former boss Lopetegui but he opted to sign the experienced midfield duo of Carlos Soler and Guido Rodriguez instead. Soler scored once in 31 league appearances during his season-long loan from PSG, while Rodriguez left in January to join Spanish side Valencia after a two-year spell. The department scouted Fernandes extensively and what initially attracted them to him was his age, resale value, his efficiency out of possession and his athleticism. They felt West Ham’s midfield lacked a player that matched this profile. Lopetegui’s successor Potter was in agreement with the recruitment team.
They also scouted Diouf when the left-back played for Norwegian side Tromso and Slavia Prague. He was pitched to Potter, who had plans to switch West Ham’s playing style to a wing-back system ahead of the 2025-26 season. Diouf, who signed for £19m from the Czech side, showed glimpses of potential in his debut season. Disasi, meanwhile, was originally flagged as a transfer target last summer, but Potter had reservations over whether he could be a ball-playing defender in a back three.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea manager signed Igor Julio on a season-long loan from Brighton instead but after making four league appearances, totalling 103 minutes, Igor’s spell was cut short in January, which enabled Disasi to join on loan from Chelsea. The five-time France international had hopes to join on a permanent deal providing West Ham avoided relegation, but he will return to his parent club in hope of a switch elsewhere.
Before relegation to the Championship was confirmed, the club had a list of targets for whether they ended up in the Premier League or the second tier next season. A week on from their fate being sealed, planning is underway. This summer will be a mixture of West Ham targeting players who are out of contract and experienced campaigners, as well as young prospects.
The club have a good track record of making signings from the EFL, with club captain Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio, West Ham’s all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League, Aaron Cresswell, who was released last summer after an 11-year spell, all recent examples. But other EFL arrivals such as Said Benrahma and Flynn Downes never quite matched the heights of the Bowen-Antonio-Cresswell trio.
Hahn is likely the first of a number of high-profile departures in the forthcoming months. As Nuno makes preparations for West Ham’s attempt at an immediate return to the Premier League and the club’s recruitment department undergoes an overhaul, only time will tell how significant his departure will be.
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