West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is spearheading the search for a new Director of Football, according to The Guardian reporter Jacob Steinberg.

The usually reliable journalist claims that former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards, outgoing Monaco recruitment chief Paul Mitchell, Brentford’s Lee Dykes, Atalanta’s Lee Congerton and former Leeds transfer guru Victor Orta are all in the frame:

West Ham are identifying candidates to take over as director of football this summer. Position to fit alongside Mark Noble as sporting director. West Ham making the move after last summer’s unconvincing signings #whufc https://t.co/ePfy0WY1Ca

— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) May 15, 2023

Edwards would obviously be the standard candidate due to his success with Liverpool, but Mitchell and Dykes are also highly rated, having both been linked with posts at Chelsea over the past twelve months.

Congerton has had a strong track record in Italy, although he had less success during spells at Celtic and Leicester City. Orta, meanwhile, is seen as an outside candidate, with Steinberg claiming that even though “discussions” have already taken place with the Spaniard, he is deemed an “unlikely appointment”.

The pursuit of a new Director of Football does raise questions about the futures of the current head of recruitment Rob Newman and, possibly, manager David Moyes, with the pair having worked closely together on signings over the past few transfer windows.