JULEN LOPETEGUI has agreed terms to become the new West Ham manager.
The former Wolves boss, 57, who is set to replace David Moyes, has not signed a contract yet, but both parties are happy with the proposed deal.
The news comes after West Ham were thrashed 5-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Moyes, whose second stint in East London began in December 2019, has seen his side slip to ninth in the Premier League table.
The Scot, who was offered a new deal at the end of last year but declined to sign it at the time, has insisted that no decision will be made on his future until after the final game of the season.
However, the club have not won any of their last six games in all competitions.
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Moyes has also not helped his case by asking for director of football, Tim Steidten, to stay away from him and the first team squad at the stadium and training ground.
Pressure is now growing on the club to announce the 61-year-old’s departure before their final home game of the season against Luton on Saturday so fans can give him a send off.
Yet Moyes’ spell at West Ham has been a success as he led them to Europa Conference League glory, as well as back-to-back fifth-place finishes.
His Hammers contract expires in the summer.
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Who is Julen Lopetegui?
Julen Lopetegui enjoyed a 17-year career as a goalkeeper for the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
He won the LaLiga title with Real Madrid in 1990 and two Spanish Super Cups with Barcelona, before stepping into management in 2003.
He began coaching as an assistant for Spain’s U17s side, before stints with Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid’s B team.
Lopetegui then returned to the Spain set-up to manage their various age group teams, leaving in 2014 for the Porto job.
He landed Spain’s top job in 2016 and spent two years at the helm of the national team, but was dismissed before the 2018 World Cup after it was announced he would become Real Madrid boss after the tournament.
The Spaniard was sacked after just two months at the Bernabeu following a dismal spell.
He joined Sevilla in 2019 and won the Europa League with them the following year.
Lopetegui departed Sevilla in 2022 and joined Wolves in the November, guiding them to a 13th place finish.
He left in August of last year, shortly before the start of the season, before Gary O’Neil replaced him.
Spaniard Lopetegui left Wolves last summer over spending concerns after finishing 13th in his first season in the Premier League last year.
But fans are not happy with the prospect of the former Real Madrid and Spain boss taking over, and would rather the club plumped for Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim.
Key figures within the club have also pushed Amorim’s case.
One supporter has even launched a petition on Change.org asking for 500 signatures, claiming Lopetegui is “not good enough, not ambitious enough”.
However, Amorim is no long an option having confirmed he will remain in Portugal.
He said: “I’m staying at Sporting. I’m under contract and it’s a special moment for me, for the club.
“Now we will try to win the third title together. Let’s try to make it happen.”
Hammers slump
The switch of manager at West Ham comes after their campaign unravelled.
Knocked out of the Europa League by German champs Bayer Leverkusen, Moyes has also seen their league form plummet.
Their 5-0 loss to Chelsea was preceded by a 5-2 defeat to Crystal Palace, a recent home loss to Fulham and an embarrassing 6-0 defeat at home to Arsenal.
They club also exited the FA Cup in the Third Round to Bristol City.
Moyes has just two games left in charge should Lopetegui come in.
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West Ham play Luton in their final home game this Saturday before closing out the season away at Man City.
Pressure is now growing on the club to announce the 61-year-old’s departure before their final home game so fans can give him a send off.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
