The operation to remove David Moyes as West Ham manager has hit a new gear after fresh speculation has now emerged at the London Stadium.
French journalist Seb Ecrivain Foot tweeted on Wednesday (21 February) that the Hammers have contacted Graham Potter and Julen Lopetegui about their managerial position.
He added that the club wants to anticipate the potential departure of the Scotsman and is working in advance in case he does leave in the coming weeks.
It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to see that preparations are being made for the potential new manager after it emerged that Tim Steidten was drawing up a shortlist of candidates back in October.
West Ham didn’t have a plan in place when Moyes’ position came under threat during the last campaign and they will want to make sure they are more prepared this time around.
After the 6-0 loss against Arsenal, HITC reported on 12 February that the board are considering the position of Moyes as David Sullivan is yet to be convinced whether or not to hand him a new contract.
The situation is in danger of becoming toxic for the Irons after “Moyes Out” banners were spotted in the away end in the 2-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (17 February).
With the Scotsman seemingly staring down the barrel, Potter is one name that has been continually linked with the role since his exit from Chelsea last year, having previously done an excellent job at Brighton.
The 48-year-old could perhaps be a more appealing option for the Hammers fans as he likes to play attacking football, which the supporters have been craving and could suit some of their star players better.
Lopetegui isn’t a new name in the mix, either, after the Daily Mail journalist Kieran Gill reported in December that the Spaniard was the only name he’d been told could replace Moyes as he wants to return to the Premier League following his departure from Wolves last summer.
Another name that has now been thrown into the mix in the past few days is Thomas Tuchel after it’s been confirmed that he will be leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
The German has an impressive CV under his belt, having previously won the Champions League with the Irons’ London rivals Chelsea before making way for the arrival of Potter in 2022.
talkSPORT reported on its website on Tuesday (20 February) that the German is among those being considered by West Ham and that he could be persuaded into becoming the new boss at the London Stadium.
The final name that has been linked with the post should it become available is former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper.
While he did great things at the City Ground before his sacking in December, the Welshman probably wouldn’t be a popular choice amongst the club’s fanbase as it could be viewed as a step backwards.
It’s important to note that a decision hasn’t been made yet on Moyes’ future and there is still a chance he could continue in his role next season, even though that probably wouldn’t go down too well in East London.
But if he does move on, then there’s a good chance many of the fans would fancy Tuchel to come in to try and take the club to the next level.
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