Julen Lopetegui already hints at West Ham United exit in new admission
Julen Lopetegui may already have one eye on other managerial options despite just being about to begin his West Ham journey.
The 57-year-old has replaced David Moyes at the helm following the Scot’s exit earlier this summer, having been heavily criticised throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
He has already made several changes, with Luis Guilherme signed from Palmeiras and Max Kilman signed from Wolves on a £40million deal, as per Sky Sports, starting a rebuild at the London Stadium.
Despite this, the new manager has already been talking about returning to one of his previous jobs – the Spain national team – despite being sacked by Luis Rubiales in 2018.
Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE on Tuesday (9 July), he said: “More than a thorn, for me, coaching the national team was a joy. I have an exceptional memory.
“I don’t think there is a single coach who does not tell you that he would like to. Who knows what may happen in the future? For the moment, focused on the present.”
Julen Lopetegui hints at Spain national team return as West Ham United journey begins
The announcement of Lopetegui as the next first-team coach was greeted by a mixed reaction, especially following his abrupt end to his tenure with Wolves back in the summer of 2023.
With that being his last job before joining the Hammers, it is understood that the manager fell out with the club over broken promises when it came to the transfer budget.
This does not seem to be a problem with David Sullivan at the London Stadium, with Lopetegui already adding two players to the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
However, his quotes will do little to settle the nerves of the anxious fans or win the sceptics over before the new season starts.
Of course, most managers will have the dream of managing their national team, but it is not something that needs to be said before his work with West Ham has yet to properly begin.
Fans will want to know that Lopetegui is fully dedicated to the club rather than keeping one eye on the Spain job, something he will need to prove in the Premier League standings.
In other West Ham news, the Hammers have learned their fate in the Jhon Duran transfer race as a Chelsea update emerges.
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