Julen Lopetegui has reportedly accepted West Ham's proposal and will now hold formal contract talks
(Image credit: Alamy)
Julen Lopetegui has taken a significant step towards replacing David Moyes as West Ham United manager, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The current West Ham boss has faced an increasingly uncertain future since declaring just after Christmas that he was confident he would be able to agree a new contract at the London Stadium to take him beyond his current deal, which expires this summer.
At the time, West Ham had just won six of their previous eight games, including victories over Tottenham Hotspur,Manchester United and Arsenal, and still had hopes of adding the Europa League trophy to last year’s Conference League triumph.
West Ham 'agree terms' with Julen Lopetegui to succeed David Moyes
West Ham were thrashed 5-0 by Chelsea on Sunday, and David Moyes' second stint in charge looks to be coming to an end (Image credit: Alamy)
But Moyes’ side have laboured since then, winning just three of their 17 Premier League games since the turn of the new year, suffering numerous heavy defeats in the process – as well as exiting the FA Cup to Championship side Bristol City at the first hurdle.
However, former Real Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Lopetegui emerged as the new favourite for the role shortly thereafter, and Romano now writes that personal terms have been agreed between the club and the Spaniard.
Romano adds that the formalities of the contract still need to be sorted out before he can sign, but that the terms West Ham have proposed are agreeable to Lopetegui and he is now prepared to move to the next stage of the process.
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Lopetegui quit his post at Wolves just days before the Premier League season began having previously raised concerns about whether the club would be able to give him the backing he felt he needed in the summer transfer window.
Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.
