Julen Lopetegui, Manager of West Ham United
Julen Lopetegui is close to being sacked by West Ham
West Ham are reportedly considering former Juventus boss Max Allegri as a possible replacement for Julen Lopetegui after the damaging defeat at Leicester.
Ruud van Nistelrooy marked his first game as Leicester boss with a 3-1 win over the Hammers in the Premier League on Tuesday night. The visitors had 31 shots on goal and dominated possession but could not pick up points in response to their 5-2 thrashing by Arsenal on Saturday.
Lopetegui has been under pressure ever since he succeeded David Moyes, with West Ham fans unconvinced by his work after a busy summer transfer window. Away supporters were heard chanting “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at their own manager at the King Power Stadium and Lopetegui is understood to be on the brink of being axed.
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan may hold fire until after crucial upcoming fixtures against fellow strugglers Wolves and mid-table Bournemouth. However, the Hammers hierarchy are already pondering potential replacements, with ex-Porto boss Sergio Conceicao on the shortlist.
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Italian outlet Calciomercato now reports that Allegri is also being ‘evaluated’ as an option. The 57-year-old left Juventus at the end of last season and is actively looking for a new role. The problem is his wage demands.
The report states that Allegri earned €7million (£5.8m) per year at Juventus and wants €8m (£6.6m) to work in the Premier League. It’s also believed that Allegri could use job offers from the Middle East as a way to drive up his demands in negotiations with West Ham.
In the meantime, Lopetegui has insisted that he isn’t concerned about losing his job. “The only thing I’m worried about now is to go to the training session tomorrow and to prepare the players for the next challenge,” he said after the Leicester defeat.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who should West Ham appoint if they sack Julen Lopetegui? Comment below.
Max Allegri is of interest to West Ham ( Image: Getty Images)
“I understand your question. We have a lot of matches. I am sure with this attitude we are going to be able to achieve many more points. We are very frustrated.
“At the end of the season, maybe we will be talking another way. There are a lot of matches in front of us, a lot of points. I believe in these players, I believe in the team, and I believe the second half of the season is going to be much better.”
He added to Amazon Prime: “The [players] want to win for them, for me, for the club. This is about football, about winning. I told the players that we deserved much more if you are able to create this number of chances."
“For me each match is very important and the next match is going to be the most important. We have to be focused and do a good performance to win the match.”
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