Julen Lopetegui has taken a significant step towards replacing David Moyes as West Ham United manager, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The current West Ham boss has faced an increasingly uncertain future since declaring just after Christmas that he was confident he would be able to agree a new contract at the London Stadium to take him beyond his current deal, which expires this summer.
At the time, West Ham had just won six of their previous eight games, including victories over Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal, and still had hopes of adding the Europa League trophy to last year’s Conference League triumph.
West Ham 'agree terms' with Julen Lopetegui to succeed David Moyes
But Moyes’ side have laboured since then, winning just three of their 17 Premier League games since the turn of the new year, suffering numerous heavy defeats in the process – as well as exiting the FA Cup to Championship side Bristol City at the first hurdle.
Bayer Leverkusen meanwhile knocked the Hammers out of the Europa League at the quarter-finals, with Sporting boss Ruben Amorim flying over to discuss succeeding Moyes just a few days later.
However, former Real Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Lopetegui emerged as the new favourite for the role shortly thereafter, and Romano now writes that personal terms have been agreed between the club and the Spaniard.
Romano adds that the formalities of the contract still need to be sorted out before he can sign, but that the terms West Ham have proposed are agreeable to Lopetegui and he is now prepared to move to the next stage of the process.
Lopetegui quit his post at Wolves just days before the Premier League season began having previously raised concerns about whether the club would be able to give him the backing he felt he needed in the summer transfer window.
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