West Ham United are reportedly close to agreeing a deal for Julen Lopetegui to take over from David Moyes.
Moyes’ tenure at the Hammers appears to be drawing to a close as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the season. He recently revealed he would hold talks with owner David Sullivan before making a decision on his future.
However, West Ham have been actively looking for a replacement, having engaged in discussions with both Lopetegui and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim. The latter had even flown to London before acknowledging that the timing was wrong.
According to the Guardian, negotiations between the club and the former Wolves boss, Lopetegui have not been concluded although the parties are close to ‘agreeing a deal.’ They add that a decision will not be made until the board hold talks with Moyes later this month.
Although several other candidates have also been considered, some at the London Stadium still believe that Amorim would be the best person to succeed the Scot. Amorim, who is under contract at Sporting until 2026, has a reported £12.8million release clause and it is unclear whether the Hammers are willing to pay that fee – leaving Lopetegui as the frontrunner.