West Ham launch ‘rich offer’ for new manager after scathing petition rocks Euro giant move

According to sources, West Ham United are back in the running for free-agent manager Julen Lopetegui after fans at

his prospective new club launched a petition against his presence.

Lopetegui previously managed Wolverhampton Wanderers, but his tenure there was brief.

The Spaniard joined Wolves in November 2022 after Bruno Lage was fired,

and he led the West Midlands club to 13th place in the Premier League last season.

However, problems between Lopetegui and those above him at Wolves quickly emerged.

He became unhappy last summer when Wolves were forced to sell key players such as Ruben Neves,

Matheus Nunes, and Nathan Collins because they couldn’t afford to replace them with big names.

Lopetegui opted to depart Molineux just days before the start of the current season,

forcing the club to bring in Gary O’Neil as his replacement.

Lopetegui has subsequently been offered a hefty deal to head to the Saudi Pro League,

but he declined because he wants to lead a top club in Europe next.

The 57-year-old has also been connected to the Manchester United post, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe is presently considering other applicants.

Lopetegui has recently emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Stefano Pioli as AC Milan’s manager.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan executives appreciate Lopetegui’s ability to deal with young players.

Milan has also been impressed by Lopetegui’s CV, which includes stints as Real Madrid and Spain manager, albeit brief.

West Ham have given Julen Lopetegui hope.

However, the news of Milan’s talks with Lopetegui has not gone over well with the club’s supporters.

Supporters of the Serie A giants have begun a ‘Nopetegui’ petition to prevent the appointment.

Those fans believe Lopetegui hasn’t done enough to establish himself at the highest level. After all, he only led Madrid for 14 games.

Sections of the Milan public want the club to bring in someone with more Serie A experience,

such as the proven Antonio Conte or the intriguing Thiago Motta.

Concerns about Lopetegui’s departure to Milan have placed West Ham back in contention. According to Gazzetta dello Sport,

the Irons have made a ‘rich offer’ for the former custodian to become their next manager.

Lopetegui is now prioritising a move to Milan, but if that fails, he will simply have to evaluate West Ham’s offer.

The Irons are currently led by David Moyes. Under his leadership,

West Ham has advanced to three consecutive European quarterfinals and won the Europa Conference League last year.

should be extended. Some believe he has done more than enough to warrant new contracts,

while others believe a more dynamic, attacking option should be brought in.

Should West Ham decide to alter things up and hire a new manager,

Lopetegui is one of their preferred candidates. But any such move will be contingent on Milan’s actions in the following weeks.

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