David Moyes says he is close to agreeing long-term deal to stay as West Ham boss

David Moyes is closing in on a new “long-term” contract as West Ham boss.

The 58-year-old has revealed he is “well down the line” in agreeing a new deal.

Moyes’ current terms are set to expire this summer after he was handed an 18-month contract in December 2019 for his second stint in charge.

There is the option to extend the former Everton and Manchester United manager’s stay by another year but he said this would be a new, longer-term agreement.

“We’re pretty well down the line with my contract and I hope that we’ll get something confirmed,” he said.

“It is more likely to be after the end of the season before we do anything. We don’t really want anything to get in the way of what we’re doing just now.

“It’s not done completely. We have a wee bit to do yet but I don’t think it’ll be major things. And the big thing for me is that I didn’t want to get too heavily involved when things were so big at the club.”

Asked if it could be assumed the contract is a long-term one in the region of three years, Moyes added: “You can say that, that’s the plan.

“There are few bits to get done where not all the edges are fixed but overall there is a lot of it in place at this moment in time.

The Hammers were in a relegation battle at the time of his appointment but Moyes kept them up and has enjoyed a fine season at the helm this time around.

While their Champions League qualification hopes are all but over following a run of one win in their last five Premier League games, European football in some guise remains a real possibility for next term.

“I am happy. I enjoy working here. It has been good. The players have been fantastic and we are building up a really good group of players,” he added.

“I think we can progress again. All those things are in place. We are not there yet and I will probably wait for these last two games and then see if we can tie it up.

“I think I’m a good football man and I’ve always felt that West Ham needed a level of stability. I hope that I can give them that and they see that and think, ‘That’s the way to go.’

“I can’t see West Ham being a club who can spend a big chunk of money in order to get success. I don’t think we’re able to do that. I think we’ll probably have to put another layer of bricks on it.

“Then you get to a level where you’re stable, competitive, consistent and I think that’s the way for West Ham to build.

“Everybody wants a quick fix now, but it can’t always be a quick fix unless you’re bringing in bundles and bundles of cash. I’m not sure that’s the model we’ve got.”

While Moyes has clearly delivered for West Ham, he admits the club has also given him reason to be cheerful after he returned to the London Stadium having initially been let go in May 2018.

“I’m really grateful that they asked me back at West Ham,” he said.

“You have got to be able stand up sometimes, in the media world where with the amount of social media and criticism you can get from supporters for what things you do.

“So you’d have to credit the board here for, I feel, for bringing me back – because I didn’t think I should have been let go in the first place but that is another matter.

“But now they have and hopefully they would see it was the right decision and they were big enough to go back and make that decision.”