Julen Lopetegui is set to take over as manager of West Ham at the end of the season, although the deal has not been officially signed yet.
The 57-year-old, who has been without a club since leaving Wolves in August last year, is close to finalizing his return to management.
The current West Ham boss, David Moyes, has faced mounting pressure due to a string of poor results. The team has won just one of their last nine Premier League games and was eliminated from the Europa League in the quarter-finals. Sunday’s 5-0 defeat to Chelsea further compounded Moyes’ woes, leaving West Ham in ninth place in the table.
Moyes, whose contract expires in the summer, has repeatedly deflected questions about his future, stating that discussions will not take place until after the team’s final game against Manchester City on 19 May.
Lopetegui, a former Spain and Real Madrid coach, has been linked with several managerial positions since leaving Wolves. He is reportedly eager to return to the Premier League after steering Wolves to safety last season when they were at the bottom of the table.
During his time at Sevilla, Lopetegui won the Europa League in 2020 before moving to Molineux two years later. Despite guiding Wolves to a 13th-place finish last season, he resigned due to frustrations with the club’s financial situation.
Moyes, on the other hand, achieved a historic feat with West Ham, leading them to three consecutive European campaigns for the first time and ending their 43-year trophy drought with a last-minute victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final last June.
However, some fans have criticized Moyes for what they perceive as negative tactics.