Julen Lopetegui has agreed to become West Ham’s new head coach at the end of this season.
Just at the end of the season, the contract of the current West Ham coach David Moyes expires, who has long said that a decision about his future has not yet been made.
Behind the scenes, West Ham bosses were actively looking for a replacement for Moyes, and now, according to The Athletic, they have agreed with 57-year-old Lopetegui. The contract has already been agreed, but has not yet been signed.
West Ham technical director Tim Steidten, who started working at the London club last summer and immediately found himself in a strained relationship with Moyes, is behind the decision to turn to Lopetegui’s services.
An unsuccessful season in the performance of the Hammers weakened Moyes’ position and gave Steidten a good reason to change the head coach.
Lopetegui has been out of work since August 2023, when he left Wolverhampton just days before the start of the Premier League season. Since then, Hulen has turned down a number of Premier League, La Liga, and Saudi League clubs.
Most recently, Bayern made their request about Lopetegui, but the former coach of Real Madrid and the Spanish national team has already set himself up to work with West Ham.
Lopetegui spent less than a season at Wolverhampton, taking over in November 2022, when Wolves were in last place in the Premier League. Hulen won 10 of his 27 matches and finished in 13th position.