Steidten unpacking: This is how the transfers business in football is going!

Steidten unpacking: This is how the transfers business in football is going!

Bremen, Deutschland - Tim Steidten, a native of Bremen and former scouting manager as well as squad planner at Werder Bremen, has experienced numerous ups and downs on his way in the football business. Today, on July 15, 2025, he reflects on his time at Bayer 04 Leverkusen and West Ham United. Particularly noteworthy is his role in the compilation of the master squad of Leverkusen, where he was significantly involved in over 40 player transfers, including the commitments of Jeremie Frimpong and Piero Hincapié. The transfer of Florian Wirtz, which Steidten won 20,000 euros from the youngsters from Cologne, is one of the most outstanding deals, especially in view of his current transfer to Liverpool for up to 150 million euros.

In February 2025, the paths of Steidten and West Ham separated, but the search for a new suitable position is difficult. Despite conversations with several clubs from the 1st and 2nd league and abroad, he is currently without employment. For Steidten, who attaches great importance to live scouting, emotional decisions in the transfer process are often inevitable. "90 percent of my work is to prevent transfers," he said in an interview with the transfer market.

scouting redefined

The variety of scouting methods has increased significantly in recent years. In addition to the traditional scouting, where scouts visit games and academies, the statistical scouting has also been established. This method analyzes data on player performance and promotes the identification of talents on a completely different level. An example of this innovative approach is the development of a football -specific language model by twelve.football, which converts large amounts of data into meaningful insights. Such analyzes are worth gold in particular for players like Wirtz, who is one of the most promising midfielder in Germany. They evaluate its strengths, such as its excellent passports, as well as its space for further development on the defensive.

The technologies behind these scouting methods are not still. In the future, other creative approaches can be expected in order to better understand the game and optimally evaluate players. Wirtz, for example, has already established itself as a creative head in the Bundesliga, while viewing the scouting reports as the future top playmaker. His overall performance on the offensive is particularly impressive, while his defensive skills still offer space for improvement.

A look into the future

Steidten has also proven that he finds creative solutions to sign valuable players. Sardar Azmoun's commitment for only 2.5 million euros of Zenit St. Petersburg is another example of his feel for good business. Such transfers are crucial for the success of a club in a lucrative and highly competitive market like football. Despite the challenges, Steidten remains optimistic and plans to speak about further transfers and the associated challenges in the second part of his interview.

Finally, it can be said that the scouting in football is more than ever shaped by data analysis and the latest technology. Associations that act clever here not only secure talented players, but also their own future in the hard everyday life of football. Steidten makes it clear that both feelings and rational decisions in the transfer process must have their place in order to be successful.

Further insights into Tim Steidten and his experiences can be found in the interviews on transfer market . The detailed analysis of Florian Wirtz can also be read on Scouting for Success . A comprehensive overview of the different types of scouting in football is on Futbollab Available.