West Ham United held productive negotiations with a big-name manager, which went well before they opted for Julen Lopetegui, with a report this week lifting the lid on why David Sullivan didn’t pursue his appointment.
Lopetegui under pressure as West Ham sound out alternatives
In the last fortnight, pressure on Lopetegui has grown, with reports even suggesting that Sullivan and technical director Tim Steidten are looking at alternative options for the Hammers dugout.
West Ham likely to let £80,000-per-week star loved by Lopetegui go in 2025
He may not stay beyond this season.
1 ByEmilio GalantiniOct 30, 2024
Former assistant coach Edin Terzic has been linked with the West Ham job if Lopetegui were to depart, even if Sullivan and the Hammers hierarchy are eager to give the latter more time to turn things around at the London Stadium (Florian Plettenberg).
Meanwhile, The Boot Room reported last weekend that West Ham are sounding out ex-FC Porto manager Sergio Conceicao as an alternative to Lopetegui, but Sullivan’s stance remains that the 58-year-old will be given wiggle room to transform the club’s fortunes.
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Lopetegui elevated some of the calls for his sacking with a 2-1 win over Man United on Sunday, which actually cost Erik ten Hag his job in the Red Devils hot seat, and West Ham’s manager is looking to avoid the Dutchman’s fate.
According to various reports, United are closing in on the appointment of Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim as ten Hag’s successor. Indeed, there are suggestions that Amorim has already requested signings at Old Trafford, indicating that the deal to take him from Portugal is merely a matter of time.
However, in an alternate universe, Amorim would be sitting in the West Ham dugout right now.
Report reveals why West Ham didn't hire Ruben Amorim
The Portuguese tactician was pictured flying into England for discussions with West Ham back in April, as the Irons contemplated life without David Moyes at the time.
Ultimately, the 39-year-old returned to Sporting and a potential move to West Ham fell through. The Daily Mail have an update this week, and they share why West Ham chose not to appoint Amorim.
The east Londoners actually had positive talks with Amorim, which went well, and it is believed he impressed the club. However, there were doubts on the club’s end over his lack of experience in major European leagues, and they viewed his arrival as a “gamble” – so West Ham decided to pursue alternative options.
Sullivan and co ended up appointing Lopetegui, who certainly has experience at the highest level given his spells at Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla. Time will tell whether this was the right call, but if the “elite-level” Amorim impresses in Manchester, some supporters will wonder what could have been.