David Moyes’ long-term future at West Ham United has been subject to intense speculation for the better half of the 2023/24 campaign, and recent events suggest this could be his last in the Hammers dugout.
The Irons suffered a heartbreaking exit from the Europa League quarter-finals after falling to a 3-1 aggregate defeat at the hands of Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen despite a valiant effort in the second leg.
However, last weekend’s embarrassing 5-2 London derby defeat against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park could be the final nail in Moyes’ coffin despite being offered a new contract last year.
The 60-year-old, who led West Ham to Europa Conference League glory last season, our first European trophy in nearly six decades, has overseen just four wins in 20 games across all competitions in 2024 (D8, L8).
Moyes’ contract runs out at the end of the season, and West Ham have already begun exploring the market for his successor.
Reports claim a contract is in place for former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui to take the job.
While The Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg has shut down those rumours, West Ham supporters will be delighted with the latest update on the managerial situation.
Amorim would be a massive coup for West Ham, but can they pull it off?
According to The Athletic reporter David Ornstein, the Hammers have entered the race to land the highly coveted Sporting CP manager, Ruben Amorim.
He was considered the front-runner to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
However, Ornstein has revealed the Portuguese tactician is unlikely to be the preferred candidate to replace Klopp, handing West Ham an edge in the race.
Widely regarded as a managerial prodigy after his exploits in Lisbon, the 39-year-old is on the radar of several European heavyweights.
Amorim is on the cusp of leading Sporting to their second league title in his four-year reign. His trophy cabinet at the Estadio Jose Alvalade also includes a Portuguese Super Cup and two League Cup titles.
Sporting are resigned to potentially losing Amorim this summer even though he has a contract until 2026 but they’re likely to demand a huge compensation fee.
However, Amorim would undoubtedly prove to be a massive coup for the East Londoners, who are looking to push the boundaries and compete for a place in the Champions League.
While Amorim has yet to prove himself in one of the top five leagues, he remains an outstanding candidate to succeed Moyes.
He is a serial winner, and his brand of football could offer a reprieve to the Hammers faithful, who have been vocal in their disapproval of West Ham’s negative approach.
With Liverpool still scratching their heads over who succeeds Klopp, West Ham must move swiftly to sign Amorim.
However, with the calibre of clubs keen on his services, it remains to be seen if David Sullivan can lure the highly-rated tactician to London Stadium.
Stats from Sofascore.com