David Sullivan not impressed by West Ham United frontrunner Julen Lopetegui in for David Moyes
David Sullivan hasn’t been convinced by the merits of appointing Julen Lopetegui as David Moyes’ replacement at West Ham, according to Jacob Steinberg.
The Guardian journalist reported for the paper’s website on 22 April that suggestions the former Wolves boss has already been offered a three-year deal at the London Stadium have been “strongly denied”, with AC Milan also believed to have approached him.
Although the 57-year-old is considered a “frontrunner” for the Irons job, despite talks with Ruben Amorim, Sullivan is reportedly not yet on board, although it is as yet unclear whether it will be the chairman on sporting director Tim Steidten who makes the final decision on a new appointment.
Moyes’ contract expires in the summer and he is now expected to move on, although even that isn’t yet entirely ruled out.
West Ham manager question remains up in the air
Sullivan may be making decisions on the new boss currently but it sounds like Lopetegui is a Steidten option if he is both a frontrunner and not impressing the chairman.
The German has apparently been given a lot of power at the London Stadium in a short time so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him handed ultimate responsibility on this matter.
Former Spain and Real Madrid boss Lopetegui does come with the benefit to Sullivan of not requiring compensation to be paid to a current club as he has been out of work since leaving Molineux last year.
The Amorim option seems to have come and gone in double-quick time with the meeting he was flown in for by the club on Monday seemingly didn’t go well [Record, 23 April], so clearly everything can change fast.
There appear to be more concrete developments towards replacing Moyes now than there have been amid speculation over his future for the past two campaigns, but given the way Sullivan has apparently gone back and forth on the Irons boss it is impossible to be certain yet that he does go.
A departure has felt like it was on the cards for months but the manner in which it looks like coming about has been unnecessarily drawn out and has left both manager and club in limbo.
In other West Ham news, a high-profile collapsed Hammers transfer update has been disputed.
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