Next West Ham manager: Fabrizio Romano confirms former Real Madrid boss will replace David Moyes
West Ham are set to replace David Moyes with Julen Lopetegui
Former Real Madrid and Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui is set to replace David Moyes as manager of West Ham, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed.
Moyes led the Hammers to their first major trophy since 1980 last season when they won the Europa Conference League but the club have decided to go in a new direction.
There has been speculation surrounding the Scotsman’s future for some time. His contract is up for renewal at the end of this season, but West Ham have been actively searching for replacements for weeks.
Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim held talks with the London side but they were unable to reach an agreement. They have now decided that Lopetegui is the man to take them forward.
As exclusively revealed by TEAMtalk, AC Milan came very close to bringing in Lopetegui but concerns about the manager from their supporters ultimately led to a breakdown in negotiations.
This gave West Ham the chance to swoop in for the Spanish coach’s signature, and his move to the London Stadium is now ‘agreed.’
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Julen Lopetegui to West Ham AGREED
With a post on X, Romano revealed that Lopetegui would be in the West Ham dugout from the start of next season, pending final confirmation.
“Julen Lopetegui has agreed terms with West Ham to become new head coach replacing David Moyes from next season,” Romano wrote.
“Lopetegui has accepted West Ham’s proposal and is ready to proceed to formal stages. Details being finalised then contracts will be signed but agreement in place.”
West Ham were thrashed 5-0 by Chelsea on Sunday and it seems that was the final straw for the club’s board regarding Moyes.
The manager will hope that his team can give him a good send-off in his final two matches against relegation battlers Luton Town and title chasers Manchester City.
Lopetegui is certainly an exciting appointment for the Hammers and supporters will hope that he can take the club to the next level.
He failed to win any trophies during his time with Real Madrid but did win the Europa League with Sevilla in 2020 – his biggest managerial achievement to date.
Lopetegui was popular among the Wolves supporters after he guided them away from relegation, but ultimately left the club by mutual consent after the club’s hierarchy said they did not have the resources for his ambitious transfer plans.
In theory, he should have more funds to play with at West Ham so the move to the London Stadium should suit him well.
The 57-year-old generally employs an attacking 4-3-3 formation with an attacking midfielder being the focal point, which could be perfect for Mohammed Kudus or Lucas Paqueta.
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