West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui is skating on thin ice as the Hammers board are due to meet to decide his immediate future.
The Hammers lost 3-1 against Leicester City in the Premier League on Tuesday night, and Lopetegui’s position has come under internal scrutiny.
According to Florian Plettenberg, Kasper Hjulmand has emerged as one of the candidates to replace the Spaniard at West Ham if he is sacked.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss could lose his job before the end of this week, with Dharmesh Sheth claiming that some of the Hammers board members have lost faith in his management ability.
Hjulmand stepped down from his role as Denmark’s international team manager in July 2024, and Plettenberg says that the Dane is ready to return to management.
More managers to be linked with West Ham job
There will not be any shortage of quality managers in the market West Ham could aim at if Lopetegui gets the sack.
As of now, Sergio Conceicao, Edin Terzic, and Graham Potter are the three names that have come out, but surely the Hammers will look at other options.
The Irons have lost seven out of 14 games this season, and they are only six points above the drop zone.
🚨⚒️ Kasper #Hjulmand is one of the candidates West Ham are considering if Julen Lopetegui would be dismissed. #WHUFC
52 y/o Hjulmand most recently coached the Danish national team and is currently without a club. He is ready for a new challenge.@SkySportDE 🇩🇰 pic.twitter.com/5reoGTNAGi
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 4, 2024
Despite spending heavily in the summer transfer window on so many new players, Lopetegui has struggled to get the best out of them.
After the defeat against Leicester, the Hammers fans chanted, “sacked in the morning”, which shows that he has lost the support of the fanbase, at least a part of it.
He has been involved in altercations with his own players and has badly failed to organise the defence despite spending heavily on new defenders.
Hjulmand guided the Danish team to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, but is he the type of manager West Ham currently need?
The 52-year-old manager has managed clubs like FC Nordsjaelland and Mainz, but doubts remain whether he would be a smart appointment.