West Ham United manager news as Crystal Palace join race for Paulo Fonseca
West Ham United are on a “collision course” with Crystal Palace to secure the services of LOSC Lille manager Paulo Fonseca this summer, according to Evening Standard.
The Guardian revealed on 19 April that David Sullivan is prepared to consider the former Roma coach Fonseca as a potential managerial option with David Moyes expected to leave West Ham at the end of the season.
The 50-year-old Lille boss is now in the frame to replace the Scot again after he was previously targeted in 2018, with the board desperately looking to make a change in the summer, and according to the Evening Standard [20 April], cross-city rivals Crystal Palace are prepared to do battle to secure Fonseca’s services.
Both clubs are considering managerial changes at the end of the season and Fonseca has been identified as a contender.
“Fonseca is understood to be attracted to the idea of managing in the Premier League, but he is currently fully focused on finishing off a good season at Lille.
“Fonseca’s work has caught the eye of Palace, who are looking for a new manager this summer after sacking Patrick Vieira last month.
“West Ham could also be in the market for a new manager, but they are yet to make a final decision on David Moyes’ future and will sit down with the Scot at the end of a tough season”, as revealed by the report.
Change needed
You can certainly argue that Moyes is incredibly fortunate to still be in a job after the club’s disastrous Premier League campaign and while the board’s continued backing of the former Manchester United manager is rather baffling, it’s clear they didn’t want to jump the gun because there were no viable replacements to take over so soon.
However, that picture has dramatically changed now, given the situations of both Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter after their sackings by Leicester City and Chelsea respectively, and now Fonseca has been identified as a potential target for West Ham United which means their are three perfectly capable and attractive options to take over at the London Stadium next season.
The East Londoners have been dreadful this season, which is made all the more disappointing considering the amount of quality they possess and the amount of money spent last summer [The Athletic, 1 September]. Moyes has certainly taken West Ham United as far as he can go and has once again proved that he can’t lead a club brimming with talent as he showed at Old Trafford when replacing Sir Alex Ferguson.
A change is desperately needed with the club searching for a manager who can guide the club forward again both on and off the field and Fonseca certainly stands out given he was a candidate for the role back in 2018.
However, West Ham United will not be able to acquire such attractive names if they fail to secure their Premier League status this season. Their English top-flight status remains of pivotal importance if they are to make the required improvements this summer.
Right now, it seems as if Palace will be the more attractive proposition for the former Roma boss.