West Ham United are contemplating the appointment of Sérgio Conceição as a potential successor to Julen Lopetegui, whose tenure as manager is increasingly under threat following the team's 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal last Saturday.

The Guardian disclosed last month that the Spaniard's future was contingent upon the outcomes of matches against Newcastle and Arsenal, with consecutive losses in these fixtures potentially leading to his dismissal. Lopetegui, who was brought in to replace David Moyes last summer, initially steadied the ship with a commendable 2-0 victory at Newcastle. However, West Ham failed to capitalize on this momentum during their subsequent home encounter with Arsenal, who surged to a 4-0 lead within the first 36 minutes, exploiting some abysmal defensive lapses.

This latest capitulation has intensified the scrutiny on Lopetegui ahead of Tuesday's trip to Leicester and the subsequent home game against Wolves. While the win against Newcastle has temporarily extended his stay, it is understood that West Ham have been actively scouting for potential replacements. Conceição, who departed Porto last summer, is a serious candidate of interest. The 50-year-old Portuguese, who guided Porto to three league titles and twice led them to the Champions League quarter-finals, is believed to be keen on the role. Although no formal contact has been made with Conceição, there is significant support for him within the club.

Other potential candidates include former Juventus manager Max Allegri, who has recently been spotted in London. There is also speculation that Graham Potter could be a contender. Additionally, Christophe Galtier, who is currently coaching Al-Duhail in Qatar, has been considered in the past.

West Ham, currently six points clear of the relegation zone, have yet to express interest in Edin Terzic, the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager. They have also conducted preliminary checks on Kasper Hjulmand, Roger Schmidt, and Stuttgart's Sebastian Hoeness.

West Ham's history does not typically involve swift managerial dismissals, and they remain hesitant to remove Lopetegui. However, growing concerns over the team's performance have sparked alarm. Lopetegui has faced challenges in implementing his vision, and there is unease regarding last summer's transfer activities, which saw the club invest over £100m in new players. Questions have also been raised about the role of Tim Steidten, the technical director.

Lopetegui's position could be severely jeopardized if West Ham succumb to defeat against Leicester. His situation has been somewhat alleviated by the availability of Lucas Paquetá, who was initially expected to testify in São Paulo on Tuesday before the Brazilian parliament's inquiry into sports betting. Paquetá's legal team successfully argued for his appearance via a remote video link. However, it has since emerged that Paquetá, who is charged by the Football Association for an alleged breach of its betting regulations, is not legally required to testify and has opted not to do so. The Brazil international vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

West Ham will also welcome the return of Mohammed Kudus, who has completed a five-match ban. Lopetegui has indicated that defender Jean-Clair Todibo remains a doubt for the upcoming fixtures.

Source link:   https://www.theguardian.com