EXCLUSIVE
West Ham have reached a verbal agreement with Julen Lopetegui for him to become their new manager, talkSPORT understands.
Hammers owner David Sullivan has personally led the pursuit of Lopetegui to replace David Moyes, who has been back in the London Stadium hot seat for four-and-a-half years.
3
That's despite sporting director Tim Steidten, who joined the club last summer, wanting to hire Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim.
talkSPORT understands former captain Mark Noble also pushed for the Primeira Liga manager, who flew in for talks last month, to come in.
Reports suggest Bayern Munich were also interested in bringing in front-runner Lopetegui as a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, who is leaving the club this summer.
As the managerial search goes on - all whilst Moyes supposed departure has not been confirmed - West Ham have been crumbling on and off the pitch.
MORE ON WEST HAM
Steidten has agreed to stay away from the dressing room for the rest of the season, with Moyes unhappy about the club lining up replacements with him still in the job.
Meanwhile, the Hammers' team itself has reflected the chaos going on behind the scenes, conceding five against both Chelsea and Crystal Palace over the last month.
Ironically, they are also without a win since the 2-1 victory over Lopetegui's former side Wolves in early April.
But whilst Sullivan seems set on hiring Lopetegui - who has been out of work since he left Molineux in August - one ex-Hammers star who watched him manage Sevilla is unconvinced he's the right man for the job.
3
Scott Minto, who played for West Ham between 1999 and 2003, told talkSPORT: "I've got to be honest with you, I'm not overly enamoured by the decision, if that is going to be the decision.
"I've said this a few times on talkSPORT, I don't like talking about managers when David Moyes [is still there] - and look, whatever you think of his style of play, I've seen a lot of West Ham this season I really have and I do get the fans saying about the style of play.
Adam Catterall claims David Moyes deserves a new contract at West Ham and that the hammers are 'overachieving' under him
"You look at the Arsenal game, that's a good example because you came up against Arsenal, but from minute one, it was kind of sitting back playing at home.
"That's not what the fans want to see, they want to see you try to go for it.
"But, if you look at Lopetegui, he's very well organised and very well structured, but he's not the anti-David Moyes the fans are looking for.
"What I would say is what you do get with David Moyes is fans will look back on it as a golden period for West Ham."
Most read in Football
3
Moyes first served as Hammers boss in 2017 with the team in the relegation zone, securing Premier League survival before departing that summer at the end of his deal.
The ex-Manchester United boss then returned in December 2019, coming in for Manuel Pellegrini who had left them in a precarious position with relegation threats mounting once again.
Since swerving away from danger again, the Scotsman has led West Ham to finish 16th, 6th, 7th and 14th.
Read More on talkSPORT
They also reached a Europa League semi-final in 2022 and winning silverware by lifting the Europa Conference League in 2023.
The Hammers currently sit ninth in the Premier League.