For too long, our transfer policy looked like a trolley dash with no direction or identity.
Big names, big fees, big wages. Plenty of players who looked great on paper but never looked like they wanted to be here.
So when Nils Koppen says West Ham now interview players twice before signing them, I’m genuinely delighted to hear this.
Koppen, our Director of Recruitment, has recorded a 45-minute interview for the club’s official Iron Cast podcast, due out this week.
In it, he explains the new approach. The first interview looks at the football side, meaning whether the player fits sporting-wise. The second is purely about character and personality.
Think about the last few years. How many signings arrived with a glowing CV and left having barely made a dent?
Talent was never really the problem. Attitude, hunger and being the right fit for West Ham were.
Asking “do you actually want to play for West Ham?” before you hand over millions shouldn’t be revolutionary. But for us, it feels like it is.
Koppen also confirms something that tells you plenty. Divine Mukasa turned down a host of clubs, including three Premier League sides, because he only wanted to come back to West Ham.
“He said ‘the only club I want to come to is West Ham’,” Koppen says. “That gives a good feeling.”
And look at him now. Back on loan, playing brilliantly, and already starting for England U20s.
That’s what happens when you sign players who want the shirt.
But there is a long way to go and a clever process means nothing if we don’t go up.
But second in the table after eight games is a decent start. Mukasa and Arne Engels have both hit the ground running.
For once, it feels like there’s a plan. Not panic buys on deadline day, and not agents steering the ship. Just a proper process, applied properly.
