Next West Ham manager: Massive Jose Mourinho claims made as speculation David Moyes will leave heats up

Jose Mourinho is being strongly tipped to succeed David Moyes as West Ham manager this summer after the Scot’s style of football came in for serious criticism in the wake of their Europa League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.

The Irons manager has legendary status at the London Stadium after guiding the club to UEFA Conference League success last season –  the club’s first major trophy in some 42 years. However, despite having West Ham on track for another place in European football next season, Moyes has never truly won favour with all associated with the Hammers.

Often criticised for the style of play he employs, knives have been sharpened for the 60-year-old following Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League quarter-final first-leg defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, where the Hammers set his side up with an ultra defensive formation.

Having then gone on to suffer a 2-0 loss, his critics argue the club would have been better going for it, especially in light of the strong attacking options at their disposal.

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Moyes, for his part, has always insisted he knows what he is doing and argues that West Ham fans have rarely had it better than they do right now under his control.

However, with the Scot’s contract at West Ham due to expire this summer, many supporters feel the club have an ideal chance to bring in a new manager who can truly get the best out of their talented squad.

The hunt for a prospective new coach will be led by technical director Tim Steidten, who it’s alleged has not always seen eye to eye with Moyes since the former’s appointment last summer.

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To that end, the likes of Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter have both been touted as would-be successors.

However, in the last 24 hours, former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss Mouriho has been touted with a move to the London Stadium.

The 61-year-old is without a club having left Roma earlier this year and recently made clear his wish to get back into football management.

“I’m ready to start again. Sometimes when you end at a club you feel like you’re in need of a rest, of a think, to process things,” the two-times Champions League winner stated in March.

“But in this case one day after I left, I was ready to go. I feel strong, I feel good, I love the work. I’m really ready. But I don’t want to make the wrong choice.”

Now amid those links to the Hammers, the club’s former striker Frank McAvennie has talked up the prospects of Mourinho taking charge and feels Moyes would have signed a new deal already if his time at the club was going to be extended.

“I don’t know if David wants to stay, to be honest,” McAvennie told Football Insider. “Why has he not signed a new contract by now if he wants to stay?

“Graham Potter has been mentioned, Jose Mourinho has been mentioned.”

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McAvennie continued: “I’m a big fan of Mourinho – I don’t care what anyone says. That guy knows how to win tournaments and win trophies.

“He wasn’t good enough for Man United – he only won the Europa League and the [Carabao] cup!

“Apparently he was a disaster there – really?

“I would love to see him come in.

“He gets criticised for his negative play, but if Mourinho had that team he wouldn’t be negative. Anyone can see that the defence needs to be fixed. Mourinho is solid defensively – that’s for sure.”

Moyes has a 45.54% win percentage record from his second stint at the Hammers, winning 102 of 224 matches.

Mourinho, by contrast, boasts a career record of 61.87%, having recorded victories in 701 of his 1133 games in management.

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