West Ham United’s next manager decision is reaching a critical point as Julen Lopetegui is primed as the lead candidate.
Julen Lopetegui Enters Frame For West Ham’s Next Manager
West Ham had Julen Lopetegui marked as a frontrunner to replace David Moyes along with Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim and Paulo Fonseca of Lille.
The situation has been made more complicated by the fact Amorim is ruling himself out of the job at this stage, but sources say he was the most popular choice internally.
It has left owner David Sullivan in a predicament as Lopetegui is now favourite for the post – even though there is a feeling he may not be a popular option for the supporters despite holding Premier League experience.
The feeling from fans will become more clear in the coming hours as news of his pending appointment spreads.
Current boss Moyes is already agitated after the club scheduled talks with Amorim recently, with him still in the job.
Since then it has been revealed that technical director Tim Steidten has now been asked to stay away from the first-team squad for the rest of the season.
Friction between Moyes and Steidten is nothing new but the latest developments, with Steidten tasked with finding a managerial successor for next season, has obviously made the situation more tense.
Moyes is out of contract at the end of this season and has previously claimed he has a new offer on the table. No new agreement has been reached though and while West Ham have been keen to push a decision back until the end of the season, it is becoming more difficult.
West Ham face Chelsea at the weekend in a game that will help decide if either side have any European potential for next season.
It is a big match for Moyes but as it stands he won’t be at the club next season anyway, with Lopetegui very keen on the role.
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