- Via Graeme Bailey
Sporting Lisbon coach Ruben Amorim has been flown in to England for talks with West Ham United after being offered to the Premier League outfit alongside ex-Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui.
HITC have been told that West Ham, who are ‘inundated’ with candidates to potentially take over from the veteran Scot, have suddenly emerged as a potential option for an extremely highly-rated head coach who is on the radar of both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Chelsea, we understand, are eyeing Ruben Amorim should they opt to move on from Mauricio Pochettino. Liverpool, meanwhile, have held talks with the 39-year-old’s representatives about stepping into the sizeable void created by the looming departure of Jurgen Klopp.
There is, however, no agreement at this stage between Liverpool and Amorim, with the Reds still assessing other targets. This may open the door to West Ham, then, with the man who ended Sporting Lisbon’s two-decade long wait for a Primeira Liga title having been offered to the London Stadium outfit via intermediaries.
HITC have heard that Amorim, as of Monday afternoon, flew in for talks alongside his agent. Tim Steidten, the club’s technical director, will play a key role in any negotiations.
Ruben Amorim flies to England for West Ham talks
Julen Lopetegui, understood to be keen on another stab at English football, is another who has been offered to the Hammers over the last few days, support for David Moyes diminishing amongst a fanbase who watched in on horror as their side were ripped to shreds by an Ebere Eze-inspired Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Lopetegui, once of Real Madrid, Sevilla, Porto and the Spanish national team, is currently out of work. He helped save Wolves from relegation during 2022/23 but departed right at the start of the following season due to concerns over the club’s Financial Fair Play situation.
HITC were told by sources on Monday that West Ham are big fans of the man who replaced Lopetegui at Molineux, the much-admired Gary O’Neil. There is interest in Lille coach Paulo Fonseca – who nearly took over at both Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds in the recent past – as well as Feyenoord’s Eredivisie-winning tactician Arne Slot, Fulham boss Marco Silva, and the soon-to-be unattached Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel, the most high-profile name on West Ham’s list, will leave Bayern Munich this summer after Bayer Leverkusen ended their decade-long stranglehold over the Bundesliga title.
Hammers still to make David Moyes decision
We have been informed, however, that West Ham’s majority owner is yet to make a decision on Moyes’ future, though he is doing due diligence on a number of potential replacements.
Amorim, in particular, would represent a massive coup due to the interest from a number of established European giants. The former Braga boss may have reservations, however, about taking over a Chelsea side with issues on and off the pitch. Whoever replaces the iconic Klopp at Liverpool, meanwhile, could be wary of the struggles David Moyes and Unai Emery faced when stepping into the shoes of a legendary manager at Manchester United and Arsenal.
“Ruben Amorim, I can see (him working at Liverpool),” former Arsenal ace Paul Merson tells SportsKeeda of a man who has Sporting ten points clear of Lisbon rivals Benfica in Portugal.
“What he’s doing with Sporting is outstanding. He’s working under severe pressure and delivering.”