Julen Lopetegui was Tim Steidten’s “no.1 choice” to replace David Moyes as West Ham manager, according to The Athletic.
It has been widely reported that chairman David Sullivan was the one who favoured appointing the former Wolves head coach.
However, it is believed that Steidten did lead the recruitment process to find Moyes’ replacement. West Ham’s technical director is said to have only held face-to-face talks with three different managers in recent months.
Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim was one of them, and it was a meeting that was highly publicised after he flew in from Portugal last month.
Steidten did, though, also speak with former Germany boss Hansi Flick and Lopetegui before making his recommendation to the board.
The Spaniard got the job after a standout interview
The Athletic claim that Lopetgui was the candidate “who impressed most” when talking to Steidten, having provided his “long-term vision for the club”.
The 57-year-old is said to be keen on keeping the core group together, with Lucas Paqueta the only player of note expected to leave due to his release clause. Lopetegui is also reportedly keen on using academy prospects where possible.
West Ham will announce Lopetegui’s arrival soon
It is expected that the former Spain and Real Madrid manager will be confirmed as West Ham’s next head coach not long after the Irons’ final game of the season against Manchester City.
Steidten is set to have almost full control of transfers, which is not believed to be an issue for Lopetegui, who is used to working under that structure due to his time in Spain.
It has been claimed that West Ham will recruit up to six players over the coming months, with the club set to lose several first-team squad members on free transfers when their contracts expire at the end of June.
