Julen Lopetegui and Paulo Fonseca are among the names Sky Sports News has been told are under serious consideration at West Ham; Ruben Amorim, however, is considered less likely to emerge as a frontrunner for the job despite some initial interest being shown
Tuesday 23 April 2024 16:49, UK
West Ham have begun their search for potential replacements for David Moyes as they prepare to make a final decision on his future.
Moyes is out of contract in the summer and recent results and performances have made it less likely that he will stay.
Julen Lopetegui and Paulo Fonseca are among the names Sky Sports News has been told are under serious consideration at the club.
Ruben Amorim, however, is considered less likely to emerge as a frontrunner for the job despite some initial interest being shown.
There are concerns that the current West Ham squad is not suited to playing Amorim's style of football, which includes playing out from the back.
Lopetegui, who has managed Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla, has been out of work since leaving Wolves just three days before the start of the Premier League season in August.
Therefore, any interested parties would not be required to negotiate with another club for his services, unlike the under-contract Amorim.
Fonseca is currently in charge of French side Lille, but his deal runs out this summer.
If Moyes were to leave at the end of the season, he would always be welcomed back to the London Stadium because of what he has achieved during his time at the club.
He is the first Hammers manager since 1980 to win a major trophy - last year's UEFA Europa Conference League.
Moyes said in February that he had been offered a new deal, but West Ham doing their due diligence should not come as a surprise in terms of future planning.
Sunday's heavy 5-2 defeat at Crystal Palace damaged the club's hopes of securing European football for the fourth consecutive season at the London Stadium.
West Ham sit eighth and have just four games left, including matches against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Last season Moyes guided the club to Europa Conference League glory - their first European trophy since 1965 - but West Ham have won just four games out of 21 played in 2024.
If Moyes' second spell in charge of West Ham is brought to an end this summer, then it would be likely that technical director Tim Steidten's power at the club would be increased.
When Moyes was re-appointed in December 2019, it was under the proviso he would have a bigger say on recruitment compared to his first spell.
But upon Steidten's appointment in July 2023, West Ham said the German, who previously worked at Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen, would be "responsible for the club's overarching player recruitment strategy and scouting department".
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