Julen Lopetegui to West Ham latest as David Moyes manager decision made

West Ham United are reportedly close to agreeing a deal for Julen Lopetegui to take over from David Moyes.

Moyes' tenure at the Hammers appears to be drawing to a close as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the season. He recently revealed he would hold talks with owner David Sullivan before making a decision on his future.

However, West Ham have been actively looking for a replacement, having engaged in discussions with both Lopetegui and Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim. The latter had even flown to London before acknowledging that the timing was wrong.

According to the Guardian, negotiations between the club and the former Wolves boss, Lopetegui have not been concluded although the parties are close to 'agreeing a deal.' They add that a decision will not be made until the board hold talks with Moyes later this month.

Although several other candidates have also been considered, some at the London Stadium still believe that Amorim would be the best person to succeed the Scot. Amorim, who is under contract at Sporting until 2026, has a reported £12.8million release clause and it is unclear whether the Hammers are willing to pay that fee - leaving Lopetegui as the frontrunner.

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The Spaniard has been out of a job since leaving Molineux last summer. The Guardian state that if negotiations reach a successful conclusion, then all could be settle next week 'even without a formal announcement.'

Moyes has been at West Ham since 2019, and has done an outstanding job since returning for a second spell. He guided them to winning their first major trophy in 43 years after the Europa Conference League glory.

Despite still being within reach of a seventh-place finish, the Hammers have had a disappointing run of form since the turn of the year.