West Ham are set to part company with David Moyes at the end of the season and have held talks over an ambitious move for the Sporting Lisbon manager, Rúben Amorim.
A final decision has not been made on Moyes, whose hopes of a new deal are fading, but the 5-2 defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday has made his departure all but inevitable. There is an acceptance within West Ham that a change is needed, although the unpredictable nature of the club means that nothing can be completely ruled out. West Ham have four games left and could perform a U-turn on Moyes if he somehow secures European football for the fourth consecutive season.
But West Ham have won four games out of 21 played in 2024 and Tim Steidten, the technical director, has taken soundings from representatives of various managers. West Ham have spoken to Amorim, who has been in the running to replace Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool.
The club face a battle to convince the 39-year-old Portuguese, who is seen as one of the brightest young managers in Europe, to join them. West Ham would find it difficult to beat Liverpool to Amorim, who is trying to lead Sporting to another league title.
Julen Lopetegui is an early frontrunner for the job and is understood to have attended at least one game at the London Stadium this season. However, sources have cautioned that the former Wolves manager is yet to convince David Sullivan, the co-owner. Reports that Lopetegui has been offered a three-year deal have been strongly denied. The 57-year-old Spaniard is also believed to have had an offer from Milan.
It remains to be seen who will make the final decision on the next manager. Steidten has ideas on who to hire and Sullivan, whose voice still carries the most weight, has been running the rule over candidates. A clear favourite is yet to emerge.
West Ham have also looked at Lille’s Paulo Fonseca and Fulham’s Marco Silva. They were interested in the former Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier 12 months ago but the Frenchman is currently working in Qatar. West Ham could look at Gary O’Neil should he decide to seek a challenge away from Wolves, while Graham Potter remains available more than a year after his sacking by Chelsea. Hansi Flick, the former Bayern Munich and Germany head coach, is also among those being considered for the job.
Supporters are hoping for a manager who plays progressive, attacking football. There have been regular complaints about a lack of entertainment under Moyes, though he helped West Ham win their first trophy in 43 years last season.
West Ham were planning to give Moyes a new two-year deal earlier this season. Having won the Europa Conference League, they were sixth in the Premier League at Christmas. But their form dipped after a disappointing January transfer window and their chances of qualifying for Europe look slim given that they still have to play Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
West Ham have remained tight-lipped on Moyes and have been planning to sit down with him after their final game. Yet the manner of the performance against Palace has changed the picture. West Ham were 4-0 down after 31 minutes.
The solidity of old has disappeared. Only the bottom three have conceded more goals than West Ham and there have been calls for the club to offer clarity on Moyes’s position before they host Luton in their final home game on 11 May.
