West Ham to appoint Chelsea transfer guru Kyle Macaulay in Graham Potter reunion | OneFootball

Hammers close to deal that would reunite new boss with his trusted recruitment analyst

West Ham are closing in on an agreement with Chelsea to reunite manager Graham Potter with trusted recruitment guru Kyle Macaulay.

While Macaulay is being targeted as a recruitment analyst, his arrival at West Ham could be seen as a blow to under-pressure technical director Tim Steidten, whose position has been criticised due to a mixed bag of results in terms of signings under his watch.

Macaulay, 38, worked with Potter at Chelsea, Brighton, Swansea and Ostersunds and has the long-term trust of the newly-appointed Hammers head coach.

As first reported by The Telegraph, West Ham are understood to be finalising a compensation package that will give the green light for Macaulay to leave Chelsea and move to the London Stadium.

After Potter was sacked as Chelsea manager in April 2023, Macaulay stayed in his role, working alongside the Blues’ co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.

Potter is playing a key role in West Ham recruitment this month as the club target a striker following injuries suffered by Michail Antonio, Niclas Fullkrug and captain Jarrod Bowen. It is now thought that Macaulay could help in ensuring the final fortnight of the January window is a success for the Hammers.