Ex-Wolves boss added to 'candidates' list as West Ham's David Moyes' future under threat

West Ham have suffered three defeats on the trot and their most recent loss at the hands of Nottingham Forest was met with fans displaying 'Moyes Out' signs around the ground.

The Hammers have slipped to ninth place in the league, having previously been battling for the Europa League spots, and the board are reportedly scouting out potential replacements for the 60-year-old Scotsman who is in his second spell of managing the London Stadium side.

The club is not ready to make any rash decisions regarding the future of Moyes but what is evident is that his job is under threat with several candidates reportedly already lined up to take his place. Former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui, ex-Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper and the former Chelsea boss Graham Potter are three all on the list of potential replacements, according to the Mail Online.

Oliver Glasner, the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt manager, had been admired as well but was announced yesterday as the new Crystal Palace boss following Roy Hodgson's resignation. It is, however, yet to be confirmed whether any of the aforementioned managers would be keen to take on a role with Potter rejecting many of the offers he has received in the past year since leaving Chelsea.

Lopetegui is the newest name on the list and the Spaniard has been out of work since leaving Wolves in 2023. He has previously managed several Spanish youth teams as well as the senior squad from 2016-18. The former goalkeeper has also seen managerial stints at Port, Real Madrid and Sevilla, leading both Real Madrid and Sevilla to the UEFA Super Cup finals; winning the UEFA Europa League in 2020 and guiding both Spain U19 and U21 squads to the UEFA Euros trophies in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

The former Spanish manager headed to the Premier League in 2022 and soon became the first manager at Wolves to win his opening match in the top flight since 1978. However, he left in August 2023 following the club's financial situation.

Moyes' current contract with the Irons runs out this summer and while there have been talks over signing a new deal following the promising start to the season, the willingness to reignite those talks and ensure his future is secure has waned following the recent run of form.

The former Manchester United boss found himself in a similar position this time last year when the club were battling potential relegation fears but the Europa Conference League triumph ensured he would see out the final year of his contract.

The Irons current run of form has coincided with the absence of Brazilian star Lucas Paqueta but with the midfielder expected back within the next two weeks, any managerial decision could be assessed once he has returned from his calf injury.

West Ham's next fixture will be at the London Stadium on Monday 26 February, with Brentford travelling from the west of the city to take on the Irons in what could be a make or break 90 minutes for the Scottish boss.