West Ham United appear more and more likely to part ways with David Moyes come the end of the Premier League season.
The Scotsman has repeatedly insisted a final decision will not be made over his future until the end of the campaign, but new reports suggest that the Hammers could make a change before the final game of the term against Manchester City.
It appears as though the man most likely to take over the reins in East London is former Wolves and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui, with discussions already being held between the parties and a deal supposedly close.
However, the Irons are not the only club chasing the 57-year-old’s signature, with Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg reporting that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are also keen on the Spaniard.
Writing on X on Friday (3 May) he said: “FC Bayern have inquired about Julen Lopetegui in the last two days after Rangnick’s rejection! The 57-year-old former Real Madrid coach is not at the top of the list, but Bayern have inquired about his availability.
“He is without a club and wants to take over a club…”
Will West Ham United secure Julien Lopetegui amid David Moyes exit speculation?
It would appear that this is not the first time that Lopetegui and Bayern have negotiated over their vacant manager’s position, with reports in April suggesting the two parties had already discussed a potential move ahead of the summer.
He may not be top of the German club’s list, but with their options running out following Xabi Alonso and Ralf Rangnick’s rejection, they could well turn to Lopetegui sooner rather than later.
Because of that, Tim Steidten and the rest of the decision-makers at the London Stadium simply have to hurry up and make the former Wolves man an offer so that they can secure his services before Bayern swoop in.
They already appear to have missed out on their number one target in Ruben Amorim and it would be a massive blow if the same thing happened once again with Lopetegui. On paper, the Bayern job will almost be more tempting than the West Ham role.
Hopefully, Steidten and those around him won’t miss the chance to get their man, otherwise, they could end up turning to Moyes for yet another season.
