It was no secret that Declan Rice was going to leave West Ham this summer. They had ample time to prepare for their captain’s move to Arsenal. Replacements should have been lined up and a scramble to secure vital additions in central midfield before the season avoided.
Yet the recruitment strategy at West Ham remains anything but smooth, even with Tim Steidten brought in as the technical director earlier this month. A scattergun process has slowed things down and the German’s appointment, far from ushering in a new era of collaboration, has confused matters.
