West Ham United are reportedly hoping that they can lure Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez to the London Stadium.
The Hammers announced on Wednesday that they would not be renewing the contract of David Moyes. Moyes was appointed as manager of the club in November following the sacking of Slaven Bilic on a deal which ran till the end of the season.
Though many will feel that the Scot should have been given more time in the Hammers hot-seat, the club are justified in refusing to renew his deal as his most recent managerial stints with Sunderland and Real Sociedad were failures.
The Hammers have now reportedly compiled a four-man shortlist of candidates who they would like to be their new manager and Benitez’s name is said to be on top of the list. Other men who have been linked with the vacancy are former Watford boss Marco Silva, former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini and Shakhtar Donetsk’s highly-rated boss Paulo Fonseca.
Benitez led Newcastle impressively this season. He managed to guide the Magpies to a respectable 10th place finish in the Premier League amidst internal club boardroom problems and having to work with a tight budget in the transfer market.
Benitez is believed to have a good relationship with the Hammers board. He even reportedly agreed to manage the club in 2015 before Real Madrid stepped in.
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