Next West Ham manager: Irons battling Man Utd for ‘top’ Moyes replacement, with candidate ‘eager’ to prove point

West Ham United have begun rivalling Manchester United for the capture of a highly rated free-agent manager who is desperate to return to the Premier League, according to a report.

West Ham are currently managed by David Moyes, who was also in charge of Man Utd between July 2013 and April 2014. Moyes was initially West Ham boss between November 2017 and May 2018, during which the team won nine out of 31 games.

Despite the Scot helping West Ham to avoid relegation from the Premier League, the club allowed him to leave following the expiry of his six-month contract.

But Moyes returned to the London Stadium in December 2019 following the sacking of Manuel Pellegrini. And his second spell with the Irons has been brilliant overall.

Under the 60-year-old’s guidance, West Ham achieved back-to-back top-seven finishes in the league in 2021 and 2022. And their best moment by far came last season, when the side won the Europa Conference League, their first major trophy in 43 years.

West Ham are once again in with a shout of finishing in the top six or top seven, as they currently sit ninth in the Prem, just two points behind sixth-placed Newcastle United. Although, it is unclear whether Moyes will still be in the hot seat when next season gets underway.

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His contract with West Ham expires at the end of the campaign. West Ham will soon hold discussions with the former Everton boss over a new deal, but if they decide to go in a new direction they will let him leave next summer.

According to Football Insider, senior West Ham officials are already identifying potential replacements for Moyes, and one coach in particular has caught their eye. The person in question is Julen Lopetegui, who is available for free following his departure from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August.

Julen Lopetegui a ‘top’ candidate to replace David Moyes

The report states that West Ham chiefs have landed on the Spaniard as a ‘top’ target to continue the great work Moyes has done.

And should West Ham begin negotiations with Lopetegui, there is a good chance he will agree to join them. That is because he is ‘eager’ to secure another Prem job and prove he is capable of helping a club challenge for the top places in English football.

Lopetegui, who has previously managed Spain, Real Madrid and Sevilla, was at Wolves between November 2022 and August of this year. During his only season at Molineux, he helped Wolves finish in 13th place.

The 57-year-old left Wolves just days before the start of the current campaign due to his frustration over their financial struggles. In the summer, the West Midlands outfit were forced to sell important players such as Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes, Conor Coady and Nathan Collins to help balance the books.

Lopetegui has rejected offers to join Saudi club Al Ittihad and Nottingham Forest as he waits for the perfect next Prem job. And West Ham could well give him that opportunity, although they will have to fend off Man Utd and Crystal Palace.

Several reports have named Lopetegui as a prime target for incoming Man Utd chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and that was again the case last week. The Spanish press stated that he is ‘very well positioned’ to join the Red Devils, should Erik ten Hag be sacked.

And it has also been suggested that Palace have made the first move for Lopetegui, having recently launched an ‘approach’ to see if he would be open to joining them and becoming Roy Hodgson’s successor.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp has teased a Liverpool raid on West Ham by heaping praise on an in-form Irons star.