Julen Lopetegui needs a result in one of West Ham’s next two games (Image: Getty)
have reportedly looked into four managerial candidates as club chiefs weigh up ‘s future.
The Spanish manager, who was appointed in May and backed by a huge summer transfer market splurge, has overseen a rocky start to his first season at the helm. The Hammers are currently 14th in the with three wins from their first 11 games, and the performances in several of their defeats have been particularly concerning.
According to , senior figures at the London Stadium have used the international break to do their homework on managers who could replace Lopetegui.
And they have come to the decision that defeats against United and in their next two games will likely see him sacked. The Hammers travel to St. James’ Park next Monday night before a home clash with the Gunners on November 30.
Both teams are higher than West Ham in the table and will go in as favourites. With the pressure on Lopetegui ramping up, major shareholder David Sullivan and other prominent club figures are making contingency plans in case they deem it time to make a change.
The four managers on their radar are to be Edin Terzic, former Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand, ex-Benfica and PSV Eindhoven manager Roger Schmidt, and Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness.
Edin Terzic is one of the four managers under consideration by the West Ham board (Image: Getty)
Out-of-work Graham Potter is not believed to be among the main candidates despite previously building a stellar reputation across spells at Swansea City and Brighton.
West Ham’s early-season fiasco has also invited pressure onto sporting director Tim Stiedten. The German was involved in Lopetegui’s appointment and oversaw a summer in which huge fees were splashed on Niclas Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme, who have hardly made any impact at all.
The Hammers went into the international break with a goalless draw at home to Everton, which was played out amid a muted atmosphere. “We are not happy because we did not win the match,” said Lopetegui.
“We have to be more consistent. The personality and the energy of the team has to be there from the start of the match, but we can look at a positive thing – the clean sheet and the chances that we had. Now we have to wish the best of the players that go with their countries in this break, crossing our fingers that they come back well and be ready for the next challenge.”