In March 2008, West Ham appointed Gianluca Nani as their Director of Football, entrusting him with responsibilities for the academy, scouting, and transfers.
In 2009, the club raised eyebrows by signing German U20 player Savio Nsereko for a then-record £9m from Brescia Calcio, the Italian club where Nani had served as Sporting Director from 1999.
The Mirror reported that Brescia’s Club President, Luigi Corioni, was Nani’s father-in-law. Savio made just one Premier League start for West Ham. Karen Brady later wrote in her Sun diary column in November 2012, “The deal is something I’m investigating.”
Fast forward to 2024, and similar questions surround two of Tim Steidten’s signings.
Niclas Füllkrug, a German international striker, switched agents in January 2023 from Think Forward to ROOF, a firm acquired by United Talent Agency in June 2024. Speculation initially linked Füllkrug to Bayern Munich due to ROOF’s ties with Bayern’s football director Hasan Salihamidžić. However, Borussia Dortmund secured him for €17.25m in August 2023, later selling him to West Ham for €27m—a significant profit.
Now aged 31, Füllkrug earns a reported £90k per week on a four-year deal. Upon joining West Ham, he declared his goal was Champions League qualification.
Meanwhile, agent Kia Joorabchian has been linked to the signing of Luis Guilherme, an 18-year-old winger signed for €23m from Palmeiras. Guilherme had attracted reported interest from top clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool, though The Athletic revealed scouts from Liverpool, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich merely “monitored” his development.
David Moyes recently questioned West Ham’s recruitment process during his appearance on The Overlap, commenting, “I think there’s a lot of people making those choices who’ve not really got a huge professional career behind them or experience.”
Despite early doubts, both players deserve time. Füllkrug, an experienced international with a proven goal-scoring pedigree, could be an asset to Julen Lopetegui. Guilherme, still developing, needs game time—whether with the U21s, on loan, or even in West Ham’s first team.
