JULEN LOPETEGUI AGREES DEAL TO REPLACE DAVID MOYES AT WEST HAM

Julen Lopetegui has agreed a deal in principle to replace David Moyes at West Ham United this summer.

Moyes is out of contract at the end of the season and though he’s held talks over a renewal, negotiations have slowed in recent weeks.

That’s due to the club’s poor form, with the Hammers losing 5-0 to rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Hammers have now conceded 70 goals in the Premier League this term, the most a Moyes side has conceded in his time as manager.

West Ham held talks with Sporting boss Ruben Almirom in April and the writing has been on the wall for Moyes since.

Lopetegui has been keen to return to English football after leaving Wolves before the start of the season due to a clash over the club’s transfer policy.

The Spaniard, who was a candidate for Manchester United before they hired Erik ten Hag, won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2020.

He spent less than a season at Wolves, but became a popular figure with supporters.

In his 27 matches at Molineux, Lopetegui won ten, drew six and lost 11 – giving him a win percentage of 37%.

West Ham are ninth in the table, five points behind Chelsea and Manchester United, and Moyes apologised for his side’s display at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

‘The fans have been great but I feel bad for them,’ he told Sky Sports.

‘I don’t normally have teams who get beaten like this but we are lacking some ingredients – mental toughness and leadership to get better results, or at least not get hammered.

‘The fans played their part and I can only say I’m really sorry for how it played out.’

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2024-05-06T10:16:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd