West Ham 'want' ex Rangers figurehead to fill key role as part of leadership restructure after relegation
The Hammers are making several changes behind the scenes after dropping out of the English top-flight
West Ham United are reportedly close to appointing former Rangers chief Nils Koppen as their new director of football recruitment.
Koppen, who is currently serving as technical director at FC Copenhagen, filled a similar role at Ibrox between January 2024 and July 2025.
Various reports claim the Hammers have identified the Belgian as a leading candidate to take up the position as the EFL Championship club look to re-organise their structure behind the scenes after relegation from the English top-flight last season.
The recent departures of Maximillian Hahn as head of recruitment and Tim Steidten as technical director has led the East London outfit to ramp up their hunt for replacements to fill both roles.
It’s understood highly-regarded Steve Nickson was under serious consideration to fill the director of football recruitment position but he is claimed to have agreed terms with ambitious Hollywood-owned Welsh side Wrexham.
Koppen would bring a wealth of experience to the role, should he be offered it. A deal is believed to be close, with Koppen expected to form a new leadership structure that will see him work with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, sporting director Mark Noble, and the board on football matters such as contract renewals, player sales and the academy.
Nils Koppen remains full of admiration for ex-Rangers boss
During his time in Govan, he worked closely alongside current Norwich City boss Philippe Clement and spoke highly of his fellow countryman’s dedication and hard work whilst in charge of Rangers’ first-team.
In a recent interview with The Pink Un, Koppen revealed: “In the first summer at Rangers, we had 15 or 18 exits and around 13 incomings. It was a mad summer. He’s a guy who goes on holiday, but his phone is close to his ear. You can call him in the evening and say, Can you watch this player?’ and he’ll give you an answer.
“Philippe says, ‘just give me the name of the player, I’ll do my own work, I’ll find out and give you my opinion.’ He will watch two, three, or even four hours of a player and come back with a good opinion.
“He doesn’t need a compilation of the best moments. He goes into detail by himself and will say, ‘I don’t like this and I do like that.’”